FROGS LEAP CHARDONNAY SHALE AND STONE

Tasting notes:

Intense flavors of lemon curd, white flowers, minerals, and gunpowder sit atop a tense, rich palate.  

About the wine:

The 2021 Chardonnay was harvested in just four (normally, eight) separate picks between September 8th and September 14th, as different sections of the vineyard reached full ripeness. All lots were added to the press whole cluster and given a couple hours of skin contact in the press. After settling overnight, the juice was allowed to just barely begin its fermentation in tank, then was immediately racked to brand-new French oak barrels, where they spent their most active phase of fermentation, typically lasting 5 days. As each lot began to slow down, all wine was racked to two specially-insulated steel tanks (designed to mimic concrete), where primary fermentation finished over the next several weeks. No lees stirring occurred, and no sulfur was added to the tank until bottling the following summer, after the wine had finished its malolactic fermentation naturally.  

About the producer:

Since its inauguration in 1981 this Rutherford icon has been the source of some of Napa’s best value, most traditionally made, terroir driven wines – qualities it continues to embody to this day. There’s no winemaking wizardry, no added gloss, instead the focus is firmly and squarely on the vineyards, rooted in the belief that healthy soils make for good grapes.

John Williams was a pioneer in so many ways, a full decade ahead of the curve when it came to organics and regenerative agriculture, a passionate believer in dry farming, and a great advocate for social equity for his vineyard workers. Having proved beyond doubt that the good way can be both financially sound, and result in better tasting fruit, he is today quite rightly seen as a figurehead of the increasingly popular movement towards true sustainability. Above all else, these are refreshing and delicious wines to drink.

In the winery, new oak is kept to a minimum, extractions are gentle and alcohol levels are pleasingly moderate, rarely topping 13.5%, even in the Rutherford Cabernet. At a philosophical level, little has changed here since the first organic harvest back in 1988. The Rutherford Cabernet, the estate’s flagship wine, is a supremely confident yet restrained example full of Rutherford dust aromas and noble Cabernet fruit, yet it remains recognisably Napa with a core of velvet cloaked tannins and mocha notes. Vintages dating back to the late 80s are still drinking beautifully.

The full range comprises a pungent and leafy tank aged Sauvignon Blanc; a fascinating and innovative Chardonnay from cool Carneros; a classic Zinfandel field blend that is a model of restraint and sophistication; and a suave, and rather gorgeous Merlot that proves why so many of the world’s great wines contain this much maligned variety. With a winery motto impossible not to love “Times fun when you’re having flies”, this family affair proves that the good route can also be a profitable one – and the results are some of Napa’s best value and most satisfying wines.

Food match:

Roasted white meats, stronger hard cheeses and creamy fish dishes.