The El Molino 2002 Rutherford Napa Valley Chardonnay is once again consistent with our house style showing rich bold tropical fruit flavors with a backbone high in malic acid. It is a voluptuous Rutherford Chardonnay with the balance it needs to stand next to the richest foods. As always we barrel fermented in French oak, leaving the wine on its original lees for eleven months and without malolactic fermentation. We think the wine exhibits floral and citrus notes that enhance the complexity of the tropical fruit. A bright entry leads to a viscous textured mid-palate that is given definition by the malic acid with the pear and brioche flavors mirroring the aromatics leading to a lingering crisp finish.

We strive for a consistent El Molino style, but every year has surprises. The 2001 harvest came a little earlier and we achieved ripe fruit flavors from a smaller crop with slightly lower sugars. The wine does not undergo ML so the malic acid is retained, providing the backbone that the wine needs for food and ageability. This wine has a straw color with a rich nose. At first you sense the mineral character with hints of citrus and as the wine warms, the traditional tropical fruit appears in this big, mouth filling wine.

Consistent with the El Molino style, concentrated aromas of ripe tropical fruit interlace with a generous bouquet of creamy vanilla and a hint of toasty oak. Flavors of classic pineapple, apple, honey and citrus are incredibly rich without being too oaky or buttery. The 2000, with its light golden straw color, is a bright, vibrant youngster with a nice dose of acid that pleases the palate and is an elegant counterpart to any meal. 900cases.

Our Rutherford vineyard continues to produce exceptional Chardonnay fruit. Some of the vines are now 24 years old. The wines are slow to develop and will age for more than 10 years. We have included tasting notes covering the last 10 years for you. The wine needs 2 to 3 years before all the flavors begin to develop. The 1999 Chardonnay exhibits a fresh straw color and the flavors lean more toward citrus and mineral character. As the wine ages you will note more of the traditional tropical fruit flavor with a creamy or honey texture and a hint of oak. We use just 50% new oak to restrain the toasty oak influence. The wines from the 1999 vintage are big and extractive and this is no exception. We produced 850 cases.

Our Chardonnay grapes come from dry-farmed vines in our Rutherford vineyard, which are over 20 years old. Crop yield was moderate and our farming practices are close to organic with no herbicides or pesticides. A late harvest in 1998 allowed for full flavor development and the wine is loaded with tropical fruit. Although our Chardonnay may appear a little closed when young because it does not go through malolactic fermentation, it will open with age and the fruit will explode. If you have held on to some of our older vintages, you will know what we mean. 850 cases were produced.

This is our tenth Chardonnay release and we are pleased that the wine projects the fruit quality of our estate vineyard. Most of the vines are over 20 years old and farmed without irrigation. The juice is 100% barrel fermented, remaining on the lees until bottling and without malolactic fermentation. The 1997 vintage was relatively warm and the wine seems softer than earlier years. It is rich in tropical fruit with a hint of citrus and the usual touch of toasty French oak. The straw-like color and firm structure suggest the wine will age. We hope you will save some for 5-10 years. Production continues to gradually rise and has this year reached 825 cases.

Our 1996 Chardonnay is classic El Molino. It is youthful, a little tight with a fresh straw color and projects a rich assemblage of tropical fruit flavors and a touch of toasty oak. This is an estate Chardonnay with fruit carefully selected from the best rows in our vineyard. The wine is 100% barrel fermented in 45-50% new Francois Freres oak and it does not go through malolactic fermentation. Our old-fashioned basket press limits the juice yield, contributing to the mouth-filling flavors. This wine should age well over 5-10 years. We produced 710 cases.

We continue to increase production of our Chardonnay in response to demand. It is a pleasure to offer 650 cases this year. This is an estate Chardonnay with fruit carefully selected from choice rows in our vineyard. The wine is 100% barrel fermented in 45-50% new French oak and it does not go through malolactic fermentation. Our basket press limits our juice yield and contributes to the mouth filling flavors. The wine is delicious now and it will age nicely over 5-10 years.

This is the 7th Anniversary for our barrel fermented Chardonnay, and we are pleased with the consistency. The power of the fruit from our Rutherford vineyard and a blend of new and used French oak help us achieve wonderful aromas and mouth filling flavors without ML. We increased production to 530 cases, which is small by any standard. Always try to hide a few bottles because our wines age.

This vintage is again big and displays rich mouth filling flavors. The wine does not go through malolactic intervention and will develop with age. There were 425 cases produced.

Our Chardonnay has grown up in the shadow of the Pinot and continues to amaze us at every competitive tasting. All the wines have been big and rich in flavor and this year is no exception. The fruit is carefully selected and barrel fermented in 45-50 % new French oak, with no malolactic intervention. We increased production to 425 cases this year.

The grapes were carefully selected from our vineyard in Rutherford and fermented in 50 % new French oak with no malolactic fermentation. The wine has rich fruit aromas and flavors that seem to last in your mouth. We produced 325 cases.

The Chardonnay was barreled with no malolactic fermentation. It spent ten months in a mix of new and old Francois Frere barrels. The wine is completely dry, yet the rich tropical fruit flavors that our vineyard is known for explodes in the mouth. This is a big voluptuous wine that goes well with many foods. Less than 300 cases produced.

This wine is very similar to the 1988 Chardonnay. It was barrel fermented in a mix of new and used Francois Frere barrels. The structure is a twin of 1988. The nose has that big tropical fruit aroma and the finish has the same mouth filling sensation with expansive flavors that seem to be characteristic of our Star vineyard in Rutherford.

The estate Chardonnay is grown at the Star Vineyard in Rutherford. The grapes are hand picked, pressed and barrel fermented. The wine is full of tropical fruit flavors with an excellent texture, or mouth feel, a hint of French oak in the nose and a delicious lasting finish. 100 cases released.