Hess Collection Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019

The Su'skol vineyard is carefully farmed to emphasize fruit with wonderful acidity and balance and demonstrates the impact of the moderate temperatures influenced by nearby San Pablo Bay. Multiple clones are used but the focus is on the aromatic musque. The musque clone is delicate and needs a light touch with both oak and malolactic fermentation so it does not get overwhelmed by either. To highlight this beautiful clonal material, Hess put 70% of the blend through Stainless fermentation to retain the fresh yellow stone fruit, citrus and pear flavours. The remaining 30% of the blend sees just a light touch of oak - 19% new (French) oak and only 30% of the overall blend is allowed to undergo secondary fermentation. Aged for 9 months in barrels and lees stirred weekly for 4 months, results in a rich, complex wine that shows aromas and flavours of apple, white pear and a slight touch of tropical fruits, accented by aromas of honeysuckle.