2022 Barnett Vineyards Sangiacomo Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay

 

Having been together for twenty years, there is nothing we enjoy much more than a good love story.  And that is exactly what we found as we dug into the history behind this and every other bottle of wine from Barnett Vineyards.  Proprietors Fiona and Hal Barnett fell in love - not only with each other - but also with Napa Valley in the early 1980's.  They did what most wine enthusiasts only dream about.  They bought what would eventually become 40 acres of prime grape-growing land up on Spring Mountain.  Five years later, the first yield of Spring Mountain Cabernet was born.  And the rest, as they say, his history!

The 2022 Barnett Vineyards Sangiacomo Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay is a stand out wine in a year that produced lovely Chardonnay overall, despite some challenging heatwaves.  This wine produced 62 barrels and was aged Sur Lee in 20% new French Oak and 80% used, using barrel fermentation and natural malo-lactic fermentation.  Knowing exactly when to harvest your grapes during heat spikes and then treating those clusters with kid gloves results in carefully crafted, delicious Chardonnay, which is exactly what we have here.

Lovely metallic gold color to the edge of the glass.  Pome fruits are dominant with the addition of orange blossom, gardenia, and tropical rains.  It is absolutely mouth-watering at first smell and we tasted this one at about 68° rather than chilled so we could discover the layers of flavor.  Tasting white wines at room temperature has historically provided us with more insight and appreciation of the full picture painted in each bottle.  Peach, nectarine, crème brûlée and framing minerality dance beautifully together, creating a supple and memorable wine with each taste.  All Chardonnay should be this tasty and have the aging potential this one exhibits!

ABV:  14.6%

Carneros AVA - California

Winery:  Barnett Vineyards

Suggested retail price:  $48.00

Drink The Bottles score:  93+/100