Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 2022

Cellar for up to 7 years. Serve chilled. A legendary figure in the winemaking world for his pioneering work in California’s Napa Valley, Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with the vision of crafting exceptional wines from traditional French varietals. Today the estate is in the capable hands of winemakers Geneviève Janssens, Joe Harden, and Megan Schofield who work tirelessly to keep his dream alive. This sumptuous Napa Valley Chardonnay is made with grapes carefully sourced from the region’s top AVAs for Chardonnay. The majority of the grapes come from the southern end of the valley where conditions are cooler thanks to fog from the bay and sea breezes which helps them to ripen slowly and maintains freshness in the finished wine. To capture the pure aromatic character of the Chardonnay grapes, the harvest takes place early in the morning. 70% of the fruit is then fermented in French oak barrels with the remainder vinified in stainless steel tanks. Both are then aged on the lees for 9 months with regular battonage. The result is a rich, creamy Chardonnay which exudes pineapple, pear and mango aromas and flavours along with roasted hazelnuts and sweet vanilla spice which are carefully balanced by a fine acidity.

Price: £36.20 from 8wines UK