Region: America / California / Sonoma County

Estate-grown Chardonnay grapes from Sonoma Valley are blended with carefully selected fruit from Carneros, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley to create a balanced and enjoyable wine. Grapes from each vineyard are handpicked in the cool of night to preserve delicate aromas, flavors and bracing acidity, and then fermented separately in either barrel or stainless steel. Barrels are stirred two or three times a week to enhance the wine’s mouthfeel and toasty, complex characters. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation to convert tart malic acid to soft lactic acid and then is aged before blending.

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• vineyard details +
  • Sonoma County

    Sonoma Valley AVA is in southern Sonoma County, flanked by the Sonoma Mountains to the west and the Mayacamas to the east. The climate is moderated by the Pacific Ocean’s cool summer fogs and the influence of San Pablo Bay to the south. St. Francis owns 600 acres of carefully chosen, diverse Sonoma County vineyards. The winery’s estate vineyards give it complete control over growing and production, a cornerstone to St. Francis’ quality philosophy. Each of the four estate-owned vineyards has its own soil profile and unique mesoclimate that forms a “tapestry of terroirs” carefully matched to the grape varieties grown there.

• about the grape +
  • 
    Chardonnay

    Though it has a distinctive profile, Chardonnay reflects other factors such as soil composition and vinification technique. Chardonnay is a reliable, hardy and prolific vine whose only real vulnerabilities are frost and uneven development of fruit.