2012 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyard Chardonnay

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards was founded in 1983 by Gus Anderson and his son Todd. The 28-acre estate is in Conn Valley, a small valley east of Napa Valley. The estate makes Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. California wine writer James Laube has written that the “estate specializes in complex and sumptuous Cabernets…Legally, Conn Valley is part of the larger Napa Valley appellation, but this is a distinctive vineyard yielding distinctive wines.”

Carneros AVA, also known as Los Carneros, is at the southern end of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys at the top of the San Francisco Bay. The 8,000 vineyard acres are mostly planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both of which thrive in the district’s cool, marine climate. Carneros became an AVA in 1983 and it has attracted foreign wine companies along with local producers. It has been especially appealing to European producers of sparkling wines including the giant Spanish cava producers Codorniu and Frexinet, and the French Champagne house Taittinger. Codorniu in Carneros is called Artesa, and Frexinet’s Carneros brand is Gloria Ferrer. Taittinger calls its Carneros winery Domaine Carneros. The European producers also make still wines in Carneros.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.