2020 Rust Ridge Napa Chardonnay

Tasting Notes: 

You go to Chiles Valley, a high-elevation sub-appellation of Napa on the eastern flank of the Vaca Mountains, to indulge in B&B living, with hiking, tennis, horseback riding, and sauna experiences to boot. You stay for the Chardonnay, much like this one from Rust Ridge Vineyard in the Chiles Valley. One taste and you will believe the grapes harvested off the 30+ year old vines were aged in American and French oak on their lees for six months. How do you think all that biscuity, caramelly, toffee deliciousness got there? Full-bodied and creamy with salty minerals, this is a meal unto itself. Of course, you could, and should, pair this with your best roast chicken dish.

Appellation Notes: Chiles Valley AVA

Where is this valley? Most people who live in Napa Valley can’t even tell you, and it was established as an AVA in 1983—well before most of them were born! It is an AVA shaped like the giant battleship in the game Battleship. If you were in St. Helena or Oakville and walked east, past Lake Hennessey, up into the rugged and treacherous hills south of Howell Mountain, at least 600 feet in elevation, you’d end up in Chiles Valley. Are you following along? We know you are. You’d see Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Franc planted there. And when you get up there, tell anyone within earshot what you know—that the valley was named after Joseph Ballinger Chiles, one of the first settlers to receive a Mexican land grant in the area. Then, ask whoever you’re speaking to if they have a helicopter to help get you home.