Frank Family Chardonnay 2018

Housed in Napa Valley's historic Larkmead Winery, Frank Family hand crafts wines to honor its great heritage. The site was first constructed as Larkmead Winery in 1884, then became Kornell Champagne Cellars for a time before it was bought in 1992 by Rich Frank, the former President of Walt Disney Studios. The foundation for the Carneros Chardonnay is Frank Family’s Lewis Vineyard, located in the heart of Napa-Carneros, near the shores of the San Pablo Bay. It is made up of 78 acres planted on gently rolling hills, with 68 acres planted to Chardonnay and 10 acres planted to Pinot Noir. The predominant maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean creates the cool temperature, fog and wind that make Carneros ideally suited for growing cool climate varietals. The Lewis Vineyard consists primarily of shallow and dense clay loam soils, receiving only 20 inches of rainfall annually. The restricting soils result in extremely low yields, producing grapes with strong character and balanced acidity. 

Made from Napa-Carneros, and Sangiacomo Vineyard fruit, located in Sonoma-Carneros, this wine was barrel fermented in 34% new, 33% once and 33% twice-filled French oak barrels for 9 months. While aging on the lees, the wine was hand stirred regularly to promote depth and longevity.  Look for aromas of guava, pear and a hint of butterscotch. Copious layers of flavors are found on the palate—from vanilla and caramel covered apples to honeysuckle, lemon curd and a touch of almond. The wine is bright and juicy.