2021 DANIKA RANCH Chardonnay

ABOUT DANIKA RANCH

For this single-vineyard Chardonnay, Winemaker Marcus Notaro’s aim was to craft a richer style of Chardonnay than the KARIA or ARCADIA VINEYARD Chardonnays and to highlight the unique characteristics of Danika Ranch and the Oak Knoll District. This wine was crafted exclusively for our wine club members.  

VINEYARDS AND WINEMAKING 

Our estate vineyard, Danika Ranch, located adjacent to the Napa River in the Oak Knoll District provided 100% of the fruit for this high-quality Chardonnay. The grapes are Clone 17. Grapes from this estate vineyard have more power and more classic California Chardonnay characteristics. The grapes were harvested “under the lights” in the wee hours of the morning and delivered to the winery just as the sun was peaking up from behind the Vaca mountains. It was fermented with native yeast. 90% of the wine blend underwent malolactic fermentation, giving it a creamy yet elegant texture. The wine was 100% barrel fermented in 90% new French oak and 10% older French oak and then aged in our white barrel room for 17 months sur lee.  The wine was very lightly filtered at bottling. 

VINTAGE 

The 2021 growing season will be remembered for being the second consecutive year of very dry conditions during winter and spring and for challenging weather during bloom and heat, cold, wind, and rain during flowering. This resulted in a reduction in yield and more variability on the clusters themselves. We had classic Napa Valley weather during the heart of the growing season with moderate temperatures and cool sea breezes in the afternoon and evening all summer. Early September saw a mini heat wave that pushed ripeness along, then a return to beautiful weather for the remainder of harvest. Berries were a little smaller than usual with loose clusters. Overall, this may be the best vintage for quality I’ve seen yet! 

TASTING NOTES

This estate Chardonnay highlights the characteristics of our Danika Ranch with aromas of poached pear, key lime pie, lemon rind, apple and crème brulee. The wine has layered flavors on the mid-palate with a waxy texture and candied apple notes on a complex finish.

FOOD PAIRINGS

Try pairing this Chardonnay with grilled fish tacos with fresh salsa, grilled salmon with lemon sauce or fresh Dungeness crab cakes.