2012 Winery of the Year - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine
Gold Medal - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Gold Medal - International Wine Channel TV Awards
The 2012 growing season in Northern California was one of the best ever, and was punctuated by long, even ripening without drama. Even the late rains were followed by dry, windy conditions. Indian summer blessed us throughout the fall—perfect weather for finishing up the season. The ample crop overall made tank space the only real challenge this year. It was a bumper crop of deliciousness.
This expressive 2012 Carneros Chardonnay is fruit forward and balanced, delivering scents of pear, apple, butterscotch and pineapple, laced with delicate floral notes of honeysuckle. The attack is layered with succulent stone fruit flavors and buttery, toasted pastry dough. The lively acidity, combined with a rich creaminess and almond toffee flavors, give this wine a long, pleasing finish.
Vintage: 2012
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Napa Valley
Harvest Date: September 12th - October 17th, 2012
Acid: 0.62 g/100ml TA
pH: 3.51
Aging: Barrel fermented in 34% new, 33% once and 33% twice-filled French oak barrels for 9 months.
Alcohol: 14.4%
94 Points
Opens up with an aromatic burst of black cherry jam, wild huckleberry, and a hint of crushed espresso bean. On the palate, the fruit is lush and primary, but it's the secondary notes—toasted nutmeg, dark chocolate truffle, and the signature 'Dry Creek Dust'—that provide a long, savory finish.
95 Points
Aromas of wild berries, black fig and ripe dark fruits are intertwined with hints of fresh mountain herbs, mineral, leather, savory spices, and cigar box. On the palate, the rich fruit flavors of dark cherry, ripe plum, blackberry, red currants and cassis are layered with notes of wild sage, dark chocolate truffle, cinnamon, clove, and a kiss of oak.
96 Points
Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, floral violet and savory spice. The palate is full and layered, with robust, age-worthy tannins and gorgeous flavors of dark berries, mocha and chocolate-covered cherries mingling with hints of graphite, fig and fine leather. Smooth tannins, firm structure and silky texture coat the palate on route to a long, generous finish.
