Today we're just North of Carneros in the Napa Valley, where the proximity to San Pablo Bay moderates temperatures and makes it the perfect area for growing great Chardonnay.
Straw in color, verging on gold. The nose shows aromas typical for a more full-bodied chardonnay: apple, lemon, butterscotch, and a hint of oak. The palate has green apple, but turns more exotic with pineapple, kiwi, and melon. Fairly lush yet still with enough acidity for balance, and with plenty of ripe tropical fruit, this should appeal to fans of medium to rich chardonnay, and represents an outstanding bargain.
Like so many wine lovers, Paul Maroon dreamed of moving to Napa and planting a vineyard. In 2000, he was able to accomplish this dream with the purchase of 35 acres of land in the Coombsville area of Napa, where he planted Cabernet Sauvignon, and sold his grapes to Joseph Phelps. As so often happens in these cases, Paul eventually got the itch to make his own wine, and in 2008 founded Maroon Wines to produce small lots of handcrafted wine. His Chardonnay is sourced from a single vineyard in the Oak Knoll AVA, just North of Carneros, where the proximity to the San Pablo Bay moderates temperatures and makes it a more suitable area for growing Chardonnay than the warmer areas to the north. This is a beautiful Chardonnay, and you are unlikely to see a better bargain for single-vineyard chardonnay from the Napa Valley.
Vintage: 2016
Appellation: 100% Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay, Single Vineyard
Acid: 0.56 g/100ml
pH: 3.64
Alcohol%: 14.6%
Production: 334 cases
All Wines
90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Rich concentrated with black fruit, baked plum, graham cracker and coffee are wrapped in a velvety texture that make your taste buds ask for more. Highly recommended!
97 Points - PLATINUM
Opens with fresh lemon and orange aromas followed by more subtle notes of lemon zest and a hue of marzipan. Balanced acidity carries through. Fresh & Aromatic!
93 Points, Gold Medal
This Zinfandel is quintessential Napa style... bursting with flavor now, yet structured with a long life ahead. In a line-up of top Napa Zinfandel. Always a stand out!
This rich Pinot offers black cherry, dark plum, and sweet tobacco, mingling with undertones of savory spice. A ripe fruit forward core with notes of earthiness and toasty oak and silky soft tannin.
Aromas of tropical fruit, pear, apricot, and lemon meringue. There's fresh apple, too, and a nice toasty nut oak component going here along with the creamy, long finish. Perfect year round.
Double Gold Medal
From the heart of the Napa Valley, well known as a premier climate for growing world class Zinfandel. Warm sunny days lead to well ripened grapes and this Zin's jammy side.
90 Points, Double Gold
Rich ruby in color and offers an enticing nose of red currant, cinnamon and blackberry. The palate is opulent, full-bodied, with cocoa-dusted dark chocolate truffle.
Red cherry, sweet spice, cranberry, cola... It's just amazingly easy-drinking. Medium garnet and bursting with aromas of cherry, spice, hints of cranberry and tobacco. Delicious!
