Hess Collection Chardonnay

Description

”The Hess Collection Wines Though just 30 miles long and a few miles wide, Napa Valley is home to diverse microclimates and soils uniquely suited to wine grape growing. It is considered one of the premier wine regions in the world and for our Napa Valley wines we look to our estate vineyards and select growers throughout the valley to source the very best wine grapes. The Hess Collection wines are family owned, sustainably farmed and dedicated to reflecting a true sense of place. Our wines are recognizable for their elegance, rich, complex flavors and a tradition of excellence.Napa Valley Chardonnay The San Pablo Bay brings morning fog and gentle breezes to our Suskol Estate Vineyard in the Napa Valley, located in one of the coolest growing regions within Napa. We named our vineyard Suskol after the native Suskol people who used the area as a meeting place and valued the nearby sources of fish and game. This vineyard is the site of an ancient seabed, with shallow, sandy soils perfect for nurturing Chardonnay grapes. The 175-acre vineyard is planted exclusively to Chardonnay with nine unique clones, giving our winemaker Dave Guffy a veritable spice rack to choose from to add layers of complex flavors to the wine.Winemaker Comments This is a wine I love sharing with people because its the very definition of versatile. Its wonderful on its own, with appetizers, or as an integral part of nearly any menu. The Suskol vineyard is carefully farmed to emphasize fruit with wonderful acidity and balance, crisp and clean and clearly showing the impact of the moderate temperatures influenced by nearby San Pablo Bay. The multiple clones, including the aromatic musque, result in a wine that shows aromas and flavors of apple, white pear and a slight touch of tropical fruits, accented by aromas of honeysuckle. We ferment only a small portion in new French Oak, and allow just a portion 28% to undergo secondary fermentation, showcasing fruit and a round, rich mouthfeel from battonage over several weeks. Theres a reason Chardonnay is a popular wine, and this is it. – Dave Guffy, Director of Winemaking2014 Vintage The harvest of 2014 will be forever remembered for being blindingly fast. Many claim it was over in the blink of an eyeit wasnt just fast, it also started early some grapes were at the winery in late August, meaning our crews spent Thanksgiving at home with their families, not a bad trade-off for some long days keeping up with the crush of grapes arriving at the winery. Fast is one thing, of course, but the real focus is always on flavor, and once again, as has been the case for recent vintages, the fruit in 2014 was simply spectacularit is a vintage that is memorable on every measure fast, ripe and furiously top quality.” – The Hess Collection