2019 Pulido-Walker Mt. Veeder Estate Chardonnay

Pulido-Walker was founded by Mark Pulido and Donna Walker, a couple who both had careers in the pharmaceutical industry before devoting most of their time to their Mr. Veeder wine venture. One sign of their commitment to winemaking is that they have hired Thomas Rivers Brown as their winemaker. Brown is one of Napa’s most acclaimed, and busiest, winemakers. Their debut releases were two 2010 single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. The 11.5-acre estate vineyard is in the Mt. Veeder appellation. Grapes also are sourced from Panek and Melanson Vineyards, both in St. Helena. Wines are generally available only through the estate’s mailing list. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Pulido-Walker Cabs “super-impressive wines.”

Mount Veeder AVA was established in 1993, though its origins as a wine producing district date to the 19th century. A German Presbyterian pastor named Peter Veeder was one of the first landowners in the area, and by 1864 one of his neighbors, a German sea captain named Stelham Wing, was producing wine commercially. The area continued to attract German agricultural entrepreneurs, some of whom established the estate that would later become the Christian Brothers Mont La Salle winery. Today the AVA includes about 1,000 acres of vineyards, most of them at relatively high altitudes. The Mayacamas vineyard, for instance, is at 2,400 feet. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

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.