The Linda Vista Vineyard lies in Oak Knoll, a cool AVA northwest of the city of Napa. Chardonnay does well in this part of the valley. Indeed, a nearby vineyard produced the Chardonnay fruit that won the infamous Paris Tasting for Chateau Montelena. The 25-year-old vines (originally planted by Beringer) are farmed sustainably and organically by Steve Matthiasson, a grape grower whose mission is to harvest healthy and fully ripe fruit for wines with balanced levels of alcohol and acidity. Sonoe Hirabayashi has made a delicious Chardonnay with the Linda Vista fruit. it’s dry and crisp, with exuberant citrus, a slightly creamy mouthfeel, and mouthwatering acidity and minerality. Judicious use of oak softened the wine without masking the pure flavors of the Chardonnay fruit.
Sonoe Hirabayashi grew up on an apple farm in the foothills of the Northern Alps of Japan, yet she pursued a very American dream in working her way toward founding Six Cloves, her own California wine making and consulting business. After starting out working in New York in international trade and finance, Hirabayashi got bitten by the wine bug and left the east coast to study viticulture and enology at UC Davis. As her studies wound up, she began several years of internships, seasonal and full-time positions that included stints at Kusuda in New Zealand; Montsecano in Chile; and Gary Farrell, Littorai, Dehlinger, DRNK, and Sebastiani in Sonoma County. These experiences gave her the expertise as well as the confidence to conceive of a wine business with a Japan focus. Six Cloves provides consulting on exporting California wine to the Japanese market. Hirabayashi-san is also making wine she believes will appeal to Japanese consumers and match the delicacy of Japanese cuisine.
Country | USA |
Region | California |
Appellation(s) | Napa Valley |
Sub-Ava | Oak Knoll District |
Winery | Six Cloves |
Vintage | 2020 |
Color | White |
Varietal(s) | Chardonnay |
Closure | Diam |
Volume | 750ml |
Bottle Size | 8.1 x 29.5 |
Case Size | 33.0 x 25.0 x 31.0 |
Alcohol | 13.1% |
Product Code | SX20CH |
UPC | NONE |
Aromas of lemon, golden apples and hints of honeysuckle open up to bright flavors of citrus and lemon curd. Slightly creamy on the mid-palate finishing with mouthwatering acidity and minerality.
Grapes were harvested early in the morning, pressed as whole clusters into French and Hungarian oak barrels, fermented on native yeast, and aged for10 months.