2022 Hommage Chardonnay, Napa Valley

Intense aromas of fresh melon, cantaloupe, peach and honeysuckle flowers. Flavors of Scottish heather honey, freshly baked bread and slight marzipan notes are interspersed with ripe honeydew melon and a touch of Asian pear.

The grapes were hand-picked at night to arrive at the winery while still cold in the early morning. Individual blocks were fermented separately to preserve the unique nature of terroir and clone. Once at the winery, we loaded the presses and gently pressed the clusters, sending the juice to stainless steel tanks where it cold settled for between 24–48 hours.

The individual blocks were then fermented in a combination of stainless steel and oak before being matured in oak where they underwent malolactic fermentation. Battonage was carried out on a regular basis at the start of malolactic fermentation. We then allowed the wines to slowly mature in barrel in our cave for around 16 months. For the Hommage wines, we then select only the best lots, blending them and then gently fining them before bottling.

Mitsuko’s Vineyard, located in the cool Carneros region, has proven over the years to have an abundance of ideal sites for Chardonnay. Purchased as bare land in 1989, we have continued to refine the vineyard’s plantings in order to maximize the site’s potential, and subsequently, our Chardonnay continues to evolve each year.

With Hommage, we strive to create the best possible expression of Chardonnay from the Napa Valley. Using barrel fermentation techniques combined with rigorous fruit selection, this wine will evolve gracefully in bottle and improve with age.