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1983 Napa Valley Chardonnay

Winemaker's Notes
The 1983 vintage was threatened by several rainstorms prior to harvest, which worried both the growers and the vintners.  Fortunately, for both, the weather turned hot and clear and with very selective hand-picking and sorting of the fruit clusters, our “Napa Valley” Chardonnay came through with flying colors.

Vintage Weather
Cool variable. Record winter rains.  Crop down 20% from 1982.  Cool spring gave way to a heat spell in mid-July that caused damage.  Early crush with a moderate sized crop. Good maturity, clean, balanced fruit.

Tasting Notes
This Chardonnay is immediately appealing because of its eye-catching, deep yellow-gold color, and its brilliant highlights.  The aroma and bouquet demonstrate pure Chardonnay fruit; a complex mixture of green apples, tropical fruit, and lemon with a sweet vanillin undertone from the oak barrel aging.  The flavors likewise follow through with rich, spicy fruit in a lush harmony of sensation.  A crisply balanced acidity gives a mouth-filling texture and a lingering aftertaste.  To us, it is an example of Montelena Chardonnay at its best and we know that it will be fabulously rewarding given a few more years in the bottle.

Bo Barrett, Winemaker