Navarro Vineyards - 1996 Chardonnay

1996 Chardonnay
Première Reserve
Anderson Valley, Mendocino
- (1.5 L Magnum) Sold Out!

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Low yield, high return

Wine writer Dan Berger wrote that he was "getting pretty bored with the utter sameness of a style of Chardonnay" which "impose (oak and malolactic) flavors on top of Chardonnay’s fruit and soften these wines to the point that they are anything but food friendly." We agree Dan. Winemakers love to leave their mark. Excessive oak and malolactic fermentations are obvious, assertive and easy (albeit expensive.) A glance at any grape grower magazine will make you realize that grape growers and their accountants have a share of the blame for the trend towards monotonous Chardonnays. Vineyard trellis experiments abound; growers get caught up in a banker’s dream of nonstop expansion of yields. New trellis designs recently were meticulously analyzed with amazing yields. The only thing the experimenter forgot to mention was flavor. Oops!

We stir Chardonnay barrels and keep the yeast in suspension to complete malolactic fermentation in the spring. Navarro is a special place. If the yield exceeds the ability of the vine to fully ripen the fruit, the sense of place is lost in the wine produced. "1996 Premere Reserve Chardonnay: pears and citrus fruit nose. Intense flavors of ripe citrus fruit and excellent finishing acidity. Rich and mouth-filling" - SF Vintner’s Club

The modern "lyre" trellis will sustain a huge crop. Based upon a computer model, it divides a single dense canopy into two vertical panels of leaves a meter apart, thereby capturing more sunlight and dramatically increasing trellis efficiency. Yields can exceed 150 hectoliters of wine per hectare of vineyard, but we found better flavor development in our cold climate when the crop is significantly thinned. Large yields delay ripeness and most importantly, dilute flavors.

In Burgundy, a grand cru vineyard is limited to 48 hectoliters of wine per hectare of vineyard and première cru sites must not exceed 54 hL/ha. At Navarro we average about 55 hL/ha. The intensity of grape flavor created by modest crop levels means our Chardonnay is not overshadowed by the strength of our oak barrels or the buttery flavors from a secondary malolactic fermentation. The wine is full bodied with citrus, pear, floral scents and creamy notes. Toasty oak, nutmeg and vanilla. And yep Dan, is still has plenty of acidity to make it food friendly. Silver medal winner.

Specifications

Harvested: Oct. 3-10, 1996
Sugars at harvest: 24.2° Brix
Bottled: July 21-24, 1997
Cases produced: 3675
Alcohol: 13.4%
Titratable acidity: 7.1g/L
pH: 3.37

1996 Première Reserve Chardonnay

Fresh, fruity, distinctive scents of citrus, tropical fruit and rose petals lead to similar flavors that are clean and vibrant. Deftly handled oak doesn't intrude here, and the acidity make the fruit sparkle. A delicious, easy drinking, food friendly Chardonnay without attitude. - Steve Pitcher, www.sallys-place.com, 2001.

Intense and concentrated, with complex, spicy fruit flavors. - Jeff Morgan and Harvey Steiman, The Wine Spectator, December 15, 1998.

Crisp and tangy, with creamy, butterscotchy flavors and tropical notes of pineapple and coconut. Crisp finish. Opulent. - Laurie Daniel, San Jose Mercury News, June 3,1998.

Ripe and complex, with a nice interplay of spicy pear and apple, and light oak shadings on the finish. Intense and concentrated, it's drinkable now or can be cellared short-term. - Wine Spectator, September 15, 1998.

Astoundingly fresh aroma of spices and grapefruit, with a hint of lime in the finish. Cleansing, and a perfect match for seafood. Navarro chardonnays age as well as any in California. Anderson Valley keeps it cool, very well indeed. - Dan Berger, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, April 29, 1998.

Honeysuckle, pears and citrus fruit nose. Pears and apples. Oak is very forward. Intense flavors of ripe citrus fruit and excellent finishing acidity. Rich and mouthfilling. Well integrated oak. - Vintners Club, January 15, 1998.

Complex spice notes from fruit with hints of pear and grapefruit. Fresh, cleansing finish that improves the taste of a wide array of foods. - Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences, April 16, 1998.