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We have 5 cases of the 2012 Ancien Carneros Chardonnay.
They made a total of 520 cases. This is a full bodied Chard made in the style of white Burgundy. We tasted it at room temperature and found zero flaws. This Chard has extreme complexity due in large to the components used in its creation. The vines are from the original Wente and Robert Young clone plantings. The fruit comes both the Napa and the Sonoma side of Carneros. Though both sides get the cooling breezes which Chardonnay so loves. Mineral components are different with the Napa fruit being richer in volcanic soil and Sonoma fruit polished by kimmeridgean minerality, so when blended in a single bottleing the result is a multi- layered combination of flavors. Both new and old French Oak was used in the finishing, so there is oak but this Chard is in no way over oaked. The flavor profile carries
a component of lemon meringue and honey dew from the beginning to the finish but along the way there is peanut and pistachio, orange blossom and zest. The nose is filled with flowers and that floral component is found at mid palate and continues through a big finish of apricot and spice. Oh and there is butter, the kind which develops in Premiere Cru Chassagne, and this Chard will remind one of Chassagne Montrachet. The lowest price we could find on this release is $40.00 and at forty we think it blows away the $60.00 Chards we have tasted.
We are able to offer the 2012 Ancien Carneros Chardonnay at Normal $40.00 - Sale price $35.00 per, 5% off 6, 10% off 12,
5 CASES ONLY
All of the very best, Rex and Michele
P.S. Excellent structure, this one will drink an easy 5 years. R
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2012 Ancien Carneros Chardonnay
about the vineyard...
Our Chardonnay owes it style, depth, and structure to intensely flavored, low yielding, heirloom clones growing in two Carneros vineyards: on the Napa side, the Toyon Farm and on the Sonoma side, the Sangiacomo family's Vella Ranch. We hand-selected the cuttings ourselves, from older vineyards in the Carneros area. These cuttings are reputed to have origins tracing to Paul Masson who imported them from Burgundy in the early 1940's, from none other than Louis Latour's
renowned Corton Charlemagne vineyard. These selections are often referred to as "Old Wente" or "Robert Young," denoting the sourced mother blocks in the 1960s.
about the vintage...
A cool, consistent, balanced vintage, 2012 made people up and down the wine-producing valleys smile. There was little to no frost through bud break. A mild and dry spring encouraged good fruit set. And the summer saw consistent stretches of sunny days with temperatures peaking in the mid- to low-80's--perfect conditions for ripening. Temperatures remained cool and the rains held off throughout the harvest, allowing the fruit to naturally and evenly ripen, developing good sugar levels and full, rich, ripe tannins.
about the wine...
We aspire to guide our Chardonnay toward a layered, complex, and expressive style that develops gracefully in the bottle and shows enticing minerality, vivacious fruit, length and structure. For us, the watchword is balance. We pressed the grapes as whole clusters, settled and fermented entirely in French oak from four different coopers, chosen for their unique synergism and support of the fruit on the palate. Nearly half of the barrels were new. We used a variety of yeasts, including native strains, and fermentation proceeded evenly and slowly, averaging a cool 55°F. The wine was aged on its yeast lees, which were stirred weekly through the spring. 520 cases produced.
tasting notes...
Announced by rich aromatics of melon, pear, and fig accented with Granny Smith apples and tangerine. Chalky, wet stone and graphite add nuance, topped with decadent creme brulee and brioche. Intense palate weight and luscious fruit tannins fill the mid-palate,finishing mouth-filling minerality. Citrus flavors are intermixed with peaches and cream and citron notes and just a hint of pineapple. Cardamom, and toasty biscotti notes, liven the palate, leading into the finish which is long, layered, and complex. The tannins, minerality, and acidity that are the calling card of well-raised, true Old Wente Chardonnay are in full display
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Rex Perry, 972-904-9917 rex@masutawineconsulting.com
Michele Mercy 214-906-5251 michele@masutawineconsulting.com
Francis Silmon 817-271-2720 francis@theclassiccafe.com
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