A26
The wine
An elegant Napa Valley Chardonnay named for the twenty-sixth generation of Antinori that today manages the family wine business.
Vinification
A26 Chardonnay is the result of the finest selection of Chardonnay grapes from the 134 acres planted on the estate. Usually less than 10% of the estate Chardonnay is selected for the bottling. Vineyard blocks for A26 are selected for their fruit intensity and distinctiveness due to clonal selection and their high elevation location at the base of Atlas Peak. The Chardonnay vineyards are planted at an average elevation of 1,475 feet in the Perkins Gravelly Loam soil series, formed from alluvium derived from volcanic rock. The A26 vineyards are planted to Heritage Wiemer, Dijon 96, Young 17, Matanzas 28 and Entav 548 clones. These are noted for their very small clusters, which contribute lovely aromas and fl avors while maintaining natural acidity that brings freshness to the wine.
Winemaking
The grapes for A26 Chardonnay are harvested in the cool, early morning hours to preserve the purity of the fruit and immediately taken to the winery. After whole cluster crushing, the berries are placed in the press for a gentle release of the Chardonnay free-run juice, which is chilled in a stainless-steel tank and allowed to settle before yeast inoculation. The wine is barrel fermented and aged in new French oak barrels, which add volume and texture without overpowering the fruit aromas. The wine remains in barrel for seven months. Some lots undergo malolactic fermentation to achieve richness and an increased length in the finished wine, while others do not to preserve freshness, resulting in a mouthwatering finish of stone fruit, minerality, and spice.
Historical Data
The Antinori Napa Valley Estate was born from the dream of Marchese Piero Antinori to create a sublime expression of Napa Valley mountain terroir after his first visit to Napa Valley in 1966. Twenty years later, in 1986, the Marchese invested in Napa Valley: a 1,200-acre site of rugged high-elevation terrain in a remote corner of the Vaca Mountain range, the finest parcels of which he transformed into immaculate vineyards over the past 37 years.
An elegant Napa Valley Chardonnay named for the twenty-sixth generation of Antinori that today manages the family wine business.
A26 Chardonnay is the result of the finest selection of Chardonnay grapes from the 134 acres planted on the estate. Usually less than 10% of the estate Chardonnay is selected for the bottling. Vineyard blocks for A26 are selected for their fruit intensity and distinctiveness due to clonal selection and their high elevation location at the base of Atlas Peak. The Chardonnay vineyards are planted at an average elevation of 1,475 feet in the Perkins Gravelly Loam soil series, formed from alluvium derived from volcanic rock. The A26 vineyards are planted to Heritage Wiemer, Dijon 96, Young 17, Matanzas 28 and Entav 548 clones. These are noted for their very small clusters, which contribute lovely aromas and fl avors while maintaining natural acidity that brings freshness to the wine.
The grapes for A26 Chardonnay are harvested in the cool, early morning hours to preserve the purity of the fruit and immediately taken to the winery. After whole cluster crushing, the berries are placed in the press for a gentle release of the Chardonnay free-run juice, which is chilled in a stainless-steel tank and allowed to settle before yeast inoculation. The wine is barrel fermented and aged in new French oak barrels, which add volume and texture without overpowering the fruit aromas. The wine remains in barrel for seven months. Some lots undergo malolactic fermentation to achieve richness and an increased length in the finished wine, while others do not to preserve freshness, resulting in a mouthwatering finish of stone fruit, minerality, and spice.
The Antinori Napa Valley Estate was born from the dream of Marchese Piero Antinori to create a sublime expression of Napa Valley mountain terroir after his first visit to Napa Valley in 1966. Twenty years later, in 1986, the Marchese invested in Napa Valley: a 1,200-acre site of rugged high-elevation terrain in a remote corner of the Vaca Mountain range, the finest parcels of which he transformed into immaculate vineyards over the past 37 years.
Antinori Napa Valley
The Antinori Napa Valley Estate was born from the dream of Marchese Piero Antinori to create a sublime expression of Napa Valley mountain terroir after his first visit to Napa Valley in 1966.
