2017 DeSante, Old Vine Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California, USA

DeSante

Based in Napa, Katharine and David are the husband and wife team that make up DeSante. David had dreamed of making wine from a young age, although it was only after a brief stint at medical school – and meeting Katharine – that he followed his dreams, embarking on his studies at UC Davis.

After time spent in Margaret River, Western Australia – Katharine at Pierro and David at the biodynamic Cullen, the couple returned to California, and eventually started their own label in 2001. They work with old vines and unusual varieties, as well as more traditional Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet.

Their top “Proof” red and white take their name from an extraordinary vineyard. Farmed by two ladies in their 60s, Proof vineyard is surrounded by fruit trees – with its produce primarily going to a local hospital, and until the DeSantes happened upon it, wasn’t used for wine. After grapes have been picked for the hospital, the DeSantes get the pick of what’s left – meaning small volumes and a blend that changes each year. Planted to Green Hungarian, Golden Chasselas, Sauvignon Vert, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah and many other varieties, dry-farmed (the well failed in the 1950s), with the oldest vines dating back to the 1890s – this is Napa, but not as you know it.

Napa Valley

North Coast's Napa Valley is California's most famous viticultural area (AVA), claiming some of the most expensive agricultural land in the world and producing wines of ‘cult’ status.

Its 16,000 ha of vines lie over a strip (40 miles long-5 miles wide) of diverse soils (clay, gravely, volcanic), with its northernmost end on the side of Mountain Helena and its foot in San Francisco Bay. The valley is framed by two mountains ranges Vaca (to the north) and Mayacamas (to the south), yet the main climatic influence is the cool wind and fog that is sucked in from San Pablo Bay during the afternoon, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. 

The area enjoys a variety of unique microclimates, as temperatures can vary dramatically as much as 15 degrees, from the north to the south end of the valley. These differences have led to the creation of several sub-AVAs (14 in total) including:

Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley District, Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Los Carneros, Mt. Veeder, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Spring Mountain District, Stags Leap District, Yountville, Wild Horse Valley and Oak Knoll District. The Calistoga AVA is still pending approval.

Both the “Napa Valley” designation and the sub-AVA name must appear on the wine label simultaneously, with the exception of wines from the Carneros AVA, which is shared between the Napa Valley and the Sonoma County.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the undisputed king of Napa grapes, occupying over 45% of the vineyard acreage, followed by (predominantly) Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cab. Franc and to a lesser extent Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto.

Recommended Producers
Frog's Leap, Dominus, David Ramey, Viader, Stag's Leap Cellars, Paras Vineyards, Heitz.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.