The grapes are blended from five plots, divided into areas where the wind blows directly from the cool San Pablo Bay and areas that are shaded by rolling hills and receive ample sunlight. The golden, perfectly ripe fruit is softly seasoned with the stems still attached. The wine is pressed into a small container, fermented with natural yeast, and then batonnaged (stirred to bring out flavor) twice a month in French François Frères and dummy barrels. It is then fermented and aged in barrels for 14 months before being finished. 60% new barrels. The flinty aroma, minerality, and rich flavor that is not overripe make this a truly Hudson wine.
Technical information
Brewing and aging: The grapes brought in from each plot are pressed with the utmost care, with the stems left attached and pressed gently and slowly to extract the fruity elements, while still retaining the acidity and avoiding the bitterness from the skins.
François Frères from France transfers the juice into dummy barrels (60% new) and ferments with natural yeast.
Alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation continue slowly for approximately 10 months, during which time the wine is batonnage (stirring the lees in the barrel to bring out flavor) is carried out once a week, and in the latter half of the process twice a month.
Fermented and aged in barrels for 14 months, then bottled without filtering or artificial fining agents.
Tasting Comments
It has a minerality reminiscent of stone, typical of Hudson Chardonnay, and the blessings of the California sun, with nuances of lemon peel, juicy green apple, pear, and peach, along with flavors of roasted almonds and caramel, and the aftertaste is long, once again accompanied by a hard, stone-like minerality.
A wine with a unique character that combines both richness and firmness.
Field Information
Plots used for Chardonnay
Schott Wente, a high-end Chardonnay clone highly sought after by Auber and Kongsgaard
Hudson Vineyards (100% owned vineyards) is divided into two major areas.
Home Ranch (a field including a winery along Route 121)
Henry Road Ranch (A field that spreads across the complex rolling hills to the north)
A blend of grapes from four different plots from both vineyards.
The plot used for this Chardonnay is planted with a clone called "Schott Wente," which is characterized by its abundance of fruitiness while also accumulating a moderate amount of acidity, allowing for long aging.
The clone is now spreading to other fields.
Each plot is named, and the 2021 vintage is a blend of Little bit (Home Ranch), Ladybug, North Seashell, and Good Hand (Henry Road) plots.
Vintage: 2021
Capacity: 750ml
Type: White wine
Taste: Medium bodied
Main variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Napa Valley
Nested AVAs, Others: Carneros
Vineyard: Hudson Vineyards
Notes: Parker Point 92-94P by Joe Czerwinski dated April, 2023
Winemaker: Clayton Kirchhoff
Winemaking: Fermentation with natural yeasts and malolactic fermentation in French barrels (François Frères and Dummy, 60% new barrels)
Aging: Fermented and aged in barrels for 14 months
Rating: 90P or above
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 14.7%