2021 Arcudi Chardonnay

Arcudi wines are made by Tony Arcudi. An Italian-American from Boston who worked in computer-related fields – including aboard U.S. Navy submarines – Arcudi’s interest in food and cooking led to part-time cooking jobs in high school, and later to an interest in wine. After his service in the U.S. Navy he tried making wine in his basement, but eventually moved to California to study winemaking at U.C. Davis. He worked in the Rhone Valley before returning to Napa and working as assistant winemaker at Nickel & Nickel. But Arcudi wanted to make his own wine, and his debut release was a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Black Sears Vineyard on Howell Mountain. The wine is generally available only through a mailing list. Vinous rated the 2012 Arcudi at 93-95 pts and called it “a superb first effort from Tony Arcudi.”

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

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.