Silverado Vineyards

Here’s another “new” Chardonnay we’re now seeing come out of Napa. There’s nary any oaky qualities on the palate and the listed alcohol is relatively low (13.9%). At the price, it’s a steal and at any price, it’s a wonderfully made wine.

It’s a bit young now, so the nose is somewhat closed although there’s a faint aroma of sweet guava. The wine is stylish with some young, ripe, bright fruit in front with good acidity to back it all up. Hold onto it for a year and then drink it over the ensuing eight years.

Four of Silverado’s down-valley vineyards were employed here with the preponderance of the grapes (63%) coming out of the silty, cool and deep soils of the Miller Ranch south of Yountville and west of the Napa River. Two Carneros vineyards were used that included the sandy, gravelly Vineburg Vineyard (17%), and the steep Carneros Vineyard (11%). Finally, the grapes from the deep, gravelly, volcanic and ash soils of Mt. George Vineyard (9%) east of the city of Napa in what will in a year or two become known as the Tulocay AVA.

The wine was aged for only six months in French (87%) and American (13%) barrels, 22 percent of which were new. There were more than 10,000 cases produced.

Reviewed September 20, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.