Tom Celani’s favorite Chardonnay style is Burgundian, and since it’s his vineyard and his winery, that’s the style that winemaker Mark Herold aims for. His aim is true. The aromas are enticing with crisp Meyer lemon, pear, dusty mineral notes and a whisper of vanilla. Refined and complex in the mouth, the flavors of golden apple, pear, white peach and lemongrass are enhanced by crisp acidity. Pair it with fresh crab cakes or a lemon risotto. The Chardonnay grapes came with the Oak Knoll estate when the Celani family acquired it in 2005. Herold’s approach for this stylish wine was to press whole grape clusters, fermenting on lees, 40 percent in new French oak and the remainder in self-stirring, egg-shaped concrete fermenters. Malolactic fermentation was inhibited to retail natural acidity. Celani explained that Herold wanted the egg for the Chardonnay to help retain the acidity that might be lost in racking in barrels.
Celani Family Vineyards, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley (California) Chardonnay 2019
By Rebecca Murphy