Alcohol: 13,6%
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Localization: Carneros, California, USA
Tasting Notes: The Chardonnay from Carneros came from a warm, early vintage. Yields averaged about three tons per acre, and the wine is characterized by its combination of fresh, natural acidity, low alcohol, and a bright, complex finish.
94 points Tasting Panel: Aged in (30% new) French oak on the lees with no stirring, this wine opens with piquant notes of spiced mango, almond, and creamed corn before the palate broadens with peach nectar, vanilla wafer, and chamomile. The lush body is balanced by enough striking acidity to keep it bright and fresh. Grapes are sourced from three sites farmed by the Sangiacomo family and one site by the Yamakowa family on the Sonoma side of the Carneros District
Food Pairing: It’s difficult to imagine any food that won’t be improved by a glass of it, but the winemaker finds it especially enjoyable with whole roasted, lemon-stuffed chicken.
The Domain: In 1999, Bruce and Barbara Neyers purchased and renovated a winery on a thirty-acre parcel in the Sage Canyon area of Napa Valley. Over the next 14 months, they built a modern, highly functional winery designed for traditional winemaking practices. They produced their first vintage in this state-of-the-art facility in 2000. In 2002, Wine and Spirits Magazine named Neyers Vineyards the Artisan Winery of the Year.
About 25% of our production is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Bruce and Barbara’s 50-acre, Conn Valley ranch. They purchase additional grapes from a select group of growers, among them the Sangiacomo family of the Carneros District, Will Nord of Napa, the Rossi Ranch of Sonoma County, Markus Bokisch and the Evangelho family.
Even though Neyers Vineyards sits in the heart of the Napa Valley, Bruce's experience with French wine importer Kermit Lynch has had an undeniable influence on their wines. Many of the French producers Bruce has worked with farm organically, make their wines naturally without use of cultured yeast or laboratory designed malo-lactic starter, and bottle their wines without fining or filtration. Neyers barrels are made in France, to our specifications, from wood that we buy in bulk and air dry for three years, two years longer than normal. All of the grapes are picked by hand, into small bins that hold only one-half ton. They are then laboriously hand sorted and inspected at the winery as winemaker Tadeo Borchardt gently guides the winemaking process along. As Bruce says, “No expense has been spared in our grape growing, winemaking practices, or processing equipment, yet customers repeatedly tell us that our wines represent great value in today's highly competitive wine market.” Bruce Neyers produces his own content for the company blog, “Vintner Tales.”
