2020 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay

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About Frank Family Chardonnay 2020, Carneros:

A beautiful expression of the Carneros appellation

Tasting Notes:

This wine is perfumed in brioche and baked apple, with seasonings of nutmeg and vanilla. It opens in a rich, full-bodied concentration of citrus and white peach and evolves on the palate to show structure and depth. Bright acidity lifts hints of toasted oak, maintaining a fresh and plush finish.

Barrel Selection:

Frank Family Chardonnay was barrel fermented in 34% new, 33% once- and 33% twice-filled French oak barrels for 9 months.

Growing Notes:

The foundation for the Carneros Chardonnay is the winery’s own Lewis Vineyard, with additions from neighboring Beckstoffer Vineyards in Napa-Carneros and Sangiacomo Vineyards located in Sonoma-Carneros.

Harvest Dates: August – October, 2020

Winemaking Notes:

As with all Frank Family Vineyards white wines, they are looking for texture and complexity. To achieve this, they practice a long, cold fermentation and then put the wine through partial malolactic fermentation to soften the overall high acidity. While aging, the winemaker employs bâtonnage (hand-stirring the lees) regularly to promote depth and longevity in the wine.

About The Winery:

Frank Family Vineyards has a small winery mentality, whereas everything they do has the smallest details in mind. They use only 100% French oak barrels, their refined elegance lending itself to the wines of the same. In 2008, the winery fully renovated with all state-of-the-art equipment. From small-lot fermentation to bottling, everything done on-property, perfecting the many styles within each varietal for fine wines without the grandiose.

Winemaker and General Manager Todd Graff is behind Frank Family’s reputation as a world-class producer of Napa Valley Cabernet and Chardonnay and their Napa Green certification for both land and winery. Prior to joining the family in 2003, Todd’s career began across the globe, where he worked at the steep slate vineyards of Weingut Klaus Schweicher in Mosel, Germany, the sandy soils of Château Yon-Figeac in St.-Émilion, France, and the decomposed granite and sandstone loam soils of Arrowfield Estate in Australia’s Hunter Valley, among others.

Todd however honed his craft and grew his technical skills throughout wineries in Napa Valley. Including his time as Assistant Winemaker at Stag’s Leap Winery, as Assistant Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Schramsberg Vineyards, as Sparkling Winemaker at Cordoniu in Napa (now Artesa), and as Winemaker at Sonoma Creek Winery. He played an essential role in the winery’s steady growth over the past 19 vintages. Including our recognization as “Winery of the Year” by the Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine in both 2012 and 2017. In 2020, Todd was named “Napa Winemaker of the Year” by the North Bay Business Journal as a result of his positive contributions to the wine industry.