Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014

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Dominick Douglas
5 years ago
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1 Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014 Showy aromas of roasted hazelnuts and caramel-covered apples create a decadent first impression. The sur-lie barrel aging adds oodles of texture but also allows each swirl of the glass to open up new aromas like nutmeg, vanilla and pineapple. The lush mouthfeel has just the right amount of acidity and juicy, ripe fruit character to pair your favorite meal. We enjoy our Chardonnay by the glass with a chunk of hard cheese and a slice or two of artisanal bread. Grown in the Oak Knoll AVA, our two estate Chardonnay vineyards have a definite tropical flair when blended together in this bottling. Our Oak Knoll ranch was originally planted with both the Wente clone and Dijon clones; however our newer plantings at both vineyards comprise both field selections and clone 4. Fluffy bale loam soils dominate while Trubody has heavier soils that are balanced by utilizing no-till cultivation and deficit irrigation. Both vineyards sit at the edge of the fog intrusion zone and the benefit from the cooling breezes during the harvest season. Partial malolactic fermentation provides texture to our wine while still allowing the natural acid to shine. Our replanting of our Oak Knoll ranch was completed in 2013, so this marks the return to our estate grown, produced and bottled designation on the bottle. 100% Chardonnay Alcohol 13.8% Acid 0.58 g/100 mls ph 3.43 Bottled July 2015 Production 18,500 cases Released Late Fall 2015 The 2014 vintage in Napa Valley celebrated a near-perfect growing season despite less than receiving less than half the normal rainfall. Late spring rains were well-timed, arriving after budbreak, flowering and fruit set thus powering the vines throughout the season. The harvest proved early for many in Napa, but here at Markham Vineyards our white varieties held a beautifully abundant crop which put us on a normal schedule. Our white wines are extremely aromatic across the board creating a trifecta of amazing vintages of which to be proud. 100% Whole Cluster Pressed 100% Barrel Fermented 9 Months Barrel Aged 30% New Oak 37% Malolactic Fermentation

Ripe, boysenberry flavors are lush and layered seamlessly with vanilla, cola and cocoa powder. The juicy texture compliments the chewy tannin finish in this young wine.

2 Napa Valley Merlot 2013 While we pride ourselves on creating Merlot with a sensual, decidedly feminine side, our 2013 is more than built to age. Rich in boysenberry fruit and resplendent with briary tones throughout, this vintage will please those looking for something in which to sink their teeth. Ripe, boysenberry flavors are lush and layered seamlessly with vanilla, cola and cocoa powder. The juicy texture compliments the chewy tannin finish in this young wine. We re finding once we pour a glass, we re not sharing so we have more for ourselves. Hopefully a civilized soul would consider sharing with friends and a great meal, even if it s something beautifully simple like burgers. A true Napa Valley blend of vineyards! Our Estate vineyards provide the backbone for the blend, totaling 50% of this bottling. Merlot from Oak Knoll gives sour cherry character while the Yountville components provide the classic Bing cherry aromas and flavors for which our Merlot is known. The jammy notes come from blending in warmer up-valley fruit from Calistoga vineyards. Much care is taken to maximize the filtered light and allow the Merlot to hang freely within the canopy during harvest. This allows the fruit to mature and color evenly, leaving any vegetal hints behind. The wines are sent to barrels as individual lots to mature, allowing for greater understanding of the direct impact of our viticultural and fermentation practices each vintage. 83% Merlot 13% Cabernet Sauvignon 2% Syrah 1% Petite Sirah 1% Cabernet Franc Alcohol 14.2% Acid 0.59 g/100 mls ph 3.58 Bottled February 2015 Production 66,400 cases Released Summer 2015 The 2013 growing season was perfect! Below average rainfall, early spring bud break, even fruit set and a hot summer. All of us in Napa Valley fast-tracked our summer bottlings to make room for an early harvest. However the month of August cooled enough to allow multiple vineyard visits confirming that our white varietals had above average yields. This in turn was slowing down their arrival to the winery, meanwhile the small berry size on our red grapes had them rushing ahead of schedule. We started crushing Merlot practically from day one. Fast & furious was the ultimate pace of the vintage from beginning to end! 11 Days Skin Contact 12 Months Barrel Aged 27% New Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 The deep garnet color lets you know to slow down and spend the night with this handsome stranger. Vanilla cola and dark chocolate perfume the blackberry fruit.

3 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 The deep garnet color lets you know to slow down and spend the night with this handsome stranger. Vanilla cola and dark chocolate perfume the blackberry fruit. The ripe, lush entry brings a knowing smile, while the brightness on the finish is only the youthful exuberance in a wine built to age. A graceful balance of richness combined with mesmerizing aromas creates the urge to drink our 2012 early. However, the chewy mid-palate tannins and oaky finish would benefit from a few years in the cellar. Find a fireplace to snuggle up for the night or grill a rib-eye topped with a slathering of gorgonzola butter if you feel like going crazy! Our Cabernet Sauvignon is entirely blended from our two Estate vineyards. Set in a canyon surrounded by wild Bay Laurel trees, the rocky soils provide near perfect growing conditions for our Calistoga Cabernet and Petit Verdot. In the heart of Napa Valley, our Yountville property has an amazing lineage spanning over 140 years. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from that parcel is the backbone of the blend. Careful canopy management maximizes filtered light within the vines, allowing the fruit to ripen evenly. The wines are sent to barrels individually to mature, providing greater understanding of the direct impact of our viticultural practices each vintage. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Cabernet Franc 3% Petit Verdot Alcohol 14.2% Acid 0.58 g/100 mls ph 3.58 Bottled January 2015 Production 12,500 cases Released Summer 2015 The 2012 vintage in Napa Valley was about as close to normal as it gets! Average rainfall ended with a nearly ideal budbreak, flowering and fruit set. The frost season was mild and while the harvest was a bit slow to start, it was beautifully abundant in comparison to the previous vintage. Our Cabernet harvest began in early October and continued at a leisurely pace the entire month. Lush texture became the hallmark of wines produce during the vintage. Being followed around by a documentary film crew has even allowed us to relive the vintage fondly and not blur into posterity! 15 Days Skin Contact 20 Months Barrel Aged 30% New Oak

The richness in this wine might make you think of dessert, and pairing with a flourless torte would be heaven. But this Cabernet Franc has a nice brightness as the tannins finish on the palate.

4 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2012 Fully-loaded with chocolate syrup & vanilla cola aromas which are layered over floral boysenberry fruit. Velvety & decadent dark chocolate-covered caramel flavors match seamlessly to the blackberry fruit throughout with a touch of interesting gingersnap spice. The richness in this wine might make you think of dessert, and pairing with a flourless torte would be heaven. But this Cabernet Franc has a nice brightness as the tannins finish on the palate. If you can find someone to make you cocoa-spice duck breast for dinner, take this wine to provide the ultimate pairing! In the heart of Napa Valley, our Yountville estate vineyard has an amazing lineage spanning over 140 years. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from that parcel are used to create this blend. Original budwood for the Cabernet Franc made its way to California in the proverbial suitcase. The vineyard has since been replanted with two different clones. Second generation field selections from our own estate were used in combination with a selection of wood from the very first California Cabernet Franc producer, La Jota Vineyard Co. Care is taken to maximize the filtered light available within the vine canopy during harvest. Reduction of crop load also helps ensure proper fruit maturity and dark, even color to the entire cluster. Typically known for a larger berry size, Cabernet Franc always benefits from long hang time and full flavor development. 83% Cabernet Franc 17% Cabernet Sauvignon Alcohol 14.5% Acid 0.63 g/100 mls ph 3.59 Bottled March 2015 Production 391 cases Released Summer 2015 The 2012 vintage in Napa Valley was about as close to normal as it gets! Average rainfall ended with a nearly ideal budbreak, flowering and fruit set. The frost season was mild and while the harvest was a bit slow to start, it was beautifully abundant in comparison to the previous vintage. Our Cabernet harvest began in early October and continued at a leisurely pace the entire month. Lush texture became the hallmark of wines produce during the vintage. Being followed around by a documentary film crew has even allowed us to relive the vintage fondly and not blur into posterity 15 Days Skin Contact 24 Months Barrel Aged 75% New French Oak

Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2011 Fresh boysenberries are intoxicatingly floral and jammy in a single juicy bite, which is exactly how this little wine comes across.

5 Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2011 Fresh boysenberries are intoxicatingly floral and jammy in a single juicy bite, which is exactly how this little wine comes across. Layers of chocolate, coffee, cinnamon & vanilla cola are thanks to the new oak barrels. While young, our Petite Sirah will show big, chalky tannins rounded out with more boysenberry fruit before finishing with spicy white pepper notes. A bit of bottle age will keep this wine from biting you back. Best bet is to go with the safe choice of grilled lamb or the largest rib-eye you can find to tame the beast! Our Petite Sirah is sourced from historic, old vines right in the heart of St. Helena. This dry-farmed vineyard is a staff favorite with a 20+ year history at Markham Vineyards! Without the luxury of water for irrigation, detrimental spring and summer heat spikes only contribute to the concentration this vineyard provides. A relatively early ripening varietal (perhaps due to its prime up-valley real estate location), this bottling consistently shows the devilishly dark color and concentration for which "Pets" is known. Our winemaking team selected only the finest barrels from the vintage to create this small bottling. Aged for over two full years in barrels, the new oak influence barely dents the surface of this monster. 100% Petite Sirah Century-Old Vines Alcohol 13.5% Acid 0.60 g/100 mls ph 3.68 Bottled February 2014 Production 520 cases Released Summer 2014 The 2011 vintage followed a similar trajectory as the 2010 vintage, which allowed us to understand and change our decisions accordingly. The cool, late year allowed our red wines to develop intense flavor concentration while still retaining a perfect acid structure. Midway through harvest, an occasional day of showers would allow us to pause from picking and focus on the bounty already harvested. Careful and vigilant viticulture was the key to ensuring our fruit arrived clean. The 2011 red wines promise to open for early enjoyment and drink best in first seven years. 12 Days Skin Contact 26½ Months Barrel Aged 54% New Oak

Napa Valley Muscat Blanc 2014 Liquid gold in color with decadent aromas of peach syrup, almond blossoms and a tangerine twist perfume charm you from the start.

6 Napa Valley Muscat Blanc 2014 Liquid gold in color with decadent aromas of peach syrup, almond blossoms and a tangerine twist perfume charm you from the start. Honeyed peach flavors are lush, but balanced with sweet orange juiciness. This Estate gem will continue to shine and improve in the cellar for years to come. Serve with a Mt. Tam triple cream cheese, fig jam and crusty bread for a simple dessert - unless you re lucky enough to find poached pears with seared foie gras on the menu! Our original bottlings of Markham Muscat Blanc hail from our Calistoga Estate, which was replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon in Today our fruit is harvested from the 2.5 acres planted in 2005 on our Trubody Estate in the Oak Knoll District. The thick-skinned Muscat grapes are allowed to ripen to near 30 Brix before carefully harvesting. After a 48-hour rest in our 45 cellar, the clusters are transferred to the press where a slow, deliberate processing of the whole clusters allows us to collect the liquid nectar. Special yeast selections with careful temperature control transform the juice over a long 40+ day fermentation into this amazing wine. Bottling early in the year ensures trapping all the essential aromas and flavors that make this Muscat Blanc truly special. 100% Muscat Blanc Alcohol 11.5% Acid 0.61 g/100 mls ph 3.29 Residual Sugar 15.8% Bottled May 2015 Production 359 cases/375ml Released Spring 2015 The 2014 vintage in Napa Valley celebrated a near-perfect growing season despite less than receiving less than half the normal rainfall. Our late spring rains were well-timed, arriving after budbreak, flowering and fruit set thus powering the vines throughout the season. While the harvest proved early for many, here at Markham Vineyards our white varieties held a beautifully abundant crop which put us on a normal schedule. We carefully harvest our Muscat block twice to get the best for both wines that make from this grape. In mid-october, we harvested the remaining clusters at over 32 Brix! There were some who though the gorgeous golden hue flecked with sunburn looked like raisins. However, these intensely sweet clusters were the most beautiful we had ever seen. We took immense pride carefully transforming them into a sticky, sweet dessert wine using careful temperature control during fermentation. 100% Whole Cluster Pressed 100% Skin Contact 100% Stainless Steel Tank Fermented

AVANT CHARDONNAY. The Wine: Tasting Notes: Serving / Pairing Suggestions: Technical Information: The Vineyard/Terroir: Accolades:

AVANT CHARDONNAY. The Wine: Tasting Notes: Serving / Pairing Suggestions: Technical Information: The Vineyard/Terroir: Accolades: The Wine: The Vineyard/Terroir: 60% Monterey County 39% Mendocino County 1% Santa Barbara and Sonoma Counties Monterey County fruit contributes lemony citrus and mineral notes; Mendocino County adds juicy