2012 Kesner “Bacigalupi” Chardonnay

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2012 Kesner “Bacigalupi” Chardonnay

$60 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

This is a personal project of Jason Kesner launched in 2002 with a single barrel of chardonnay while he managed viticulture for Napa’s Hudson Vineyards.  The next year he produced three barrels and much of it was poured in top restaurants, including the French Laundry.

Kesner departed Napa in 2008 for nearby Sonoma County and Kistler Vineyards to become assistant winemaker of one of the top producers of chardonnay in California (and arguably the world).  In 2014 he was elevated to winemaker.

In his words:  “I have approached winemaking from a very strong foundation in the vineyard. I grew up in the vineyards here in California, at an early age learning to prune, drive tractors and turn on wind machines to ward off frost.  I think more winemakers should own a well-worn pair of pruning shears. Winemaking is, at its core, an extension of farming.”

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Our third vintage from this long heralded site. The same family has been farming the land since the late 1950s, and they learned what worked and what didn’t a long time ago. Heritage California clone chardonnay on St. George rootstock planted in the red sandy soils in the hills west of the river. It consistently yields a wine that gives a nod to classic Californian chardonnays, but with structure and lively acids due to us picking a touch on the early side. Beautiful, refined tones of golden stone fruit, and an underlying sense of minerality with a hint of whey. Mouth-filling presence that deftly toes the line between body and structure, with a vibrancy that resonates through its luxurious, long-lasting finish.”

Blend:  100% chardonnay

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