2018 Heitz Quartz Creek Vineyard Chardonnay

Joe Heitz and his wife Alice were true pioneers of modern California winemaking when they moved to the Napa Valley in 1951. Joe earned an advanced degree in oenology from the University of California at Davis and he worked with famed winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards for several years before he and Alice bought a small winery in 1961. Over the decades the couple turned the estate into one of California’s most admired estates. Joe died in 2000 but his children continued to run the estate, making the distinctive Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, among other highly acclaimed wines. In 2018 the estate was sold to Gaylon Lawrence Jr., a businessman whose family owns farmland throughout the Midwest and South as well as banks and industrial enterprises. Lawrence has brought in Napa wine industry veteran Robert Boyd as Heitz CEO. The estate owns 400 acres of vineyards.

Oak Knoll AVA is one of Napa Valley’s newest appellations, having received that status in 2004. Located on the southern end of Napa Valley, the appellation is close to San Pablo Bay and therefore relatively cool. Of the 8,300 acres within the appellation, 4,150 are vineyards. The principal grapes grown are Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Locals like to call Oak Knoll “the sweet spot” thanks to its location between the San Pablo Bay and its maritime climate and the much hotter climate of Napa Valley’s floor.

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.