2021 Chappellet 'Grower Collection Calesa' Chardonnay Carneros
The Calesa Vineyard is exposed to the fog and wind that funnel through the Petaluma Gap, a cool-climate vineyard where Chardonnay ripens slowly, developing pure, vibrant flavors and ideal acidity. In addition to producing naturally low yields, this diversity of clonal material results in a complex and layered wine with beautiful notes of citrus, tropical fruit and spice. This 2021 Chardonnay expresses exceptional quality, with lovely structure and concentration, excellent underlying acidity and soaring varietal flavors.
If you asked us for our list of Napa Valley wineries currently making the highest quality, most complete, most consistent, most interesting, most ageworthy wines for the money, Chappellet Winery would be at the top. Consider all the metrics: track record, intrinsic quality, taste of the soil, availability, quality-price rapport, freshness, and visceral excitement. Is this the finest winery, top-to-bottom, in the Napa Valley? Why are the wines so good? First, take a great terroir: volcanic terraces high on Pritchard Hill that were first planted in 1882. It’s no accident that Colgin, Continuum, and Bryant Family set up shop in the neighborhood. Then we have 47 years of accumulated knowledge from some of the best winemaking talent the valley has ever seen: Philip Togni, Joe Cafaro, Tony Soter, Cathy Corison and finally Philip Corallo-Titus, who has been at the winemaking helm since 1990. And finally there’s the huge Chappellet family, dedicated as a team to farm great grapes and make superb wines since 1968.