Neyers Vineyards Bruce's Journal
Yet Another Delicious Chardonnay
By Bruce Neyers
Saturday 19th October, 2024
Our 2021 Chardonnay ‘Carneros District’ – Some recent observations
One of the world’s most respected wine producers today is Jean-Marc Roulot, a Burgundian who I met many years ago, after he had graduated from the wine school in Beaune. Armed with a degree from this prestigious institution, Jean-Marc was interested in working with a California winery. When I learned about this through a mutual acquaintance, I asked my boss Joe Phelps for help. We filled a vacancy in the Phelps cellar crew with Jean-Marc, and he came to California in the spring of 1975. He moved in with Barbara and me, and set about learning the ways of grape growing and winemaking in California. He was 18. Domaine Roulot in Meursault is now at or near the top of anyone’s list of great Burgundian properties. Barbara and I receive an annual allocation of his wines and drink them as often as available quantities permit. They are models for what we hoped to achieve when we started Neyers Winery.
Tadeo has a decided flair with Chardonnay, and I look at what he accomplished in the great vintage of 2021 with a smile. Working with three separate parcels in the Carneros District of Sonoma, he brought in grapes during the final days of September that were fully ripened, loaded with flavor, and exquisitely balanced. Harvesting Chardonnay in late September is always a good sign, as the grapes have matured slowly, and thoroughly. The crop was small, hand-picked, and pressed as whole-clusters, minimizing pulp solids and eliminating astringency. The juice was fermented naturally in 60-gallon François Frères barrels, using native, wild yeast trapped on the skins during ripening. We aged the new wine in the barrels for ten months, in constant contact with the yeast lees. This procedure allows for the development of what the French call ‘Noisette’, an aroma reminiscent of Hazelnut that is a valuable part of the aging process.
A colleague recently sent me a copy of these tasting notes from James Suckling:
Neyers 2021 Carneros District Chardonnay
Score: 92 Points
Buttered toast, apricots, apple crumble and spiced pears on the nose. It’s creamy and flavorful, with a full body and spiced, ripe fruit complemented by flinty and smoky undertones. Bright acidity, too. Delicious now.
I love that observation about ‘delicious now’. You’ll enjoy trying a bottle.
Royal Corona and Alubia Blanca Bean Salad with Radicchio
Ingredients
-
- 1 cup cooked Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans
- 1 ½ cups cooked Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca beans
- 1 to 2 heads radicchio, halved and cored
- 2/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup of croutons made from a baguette
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for croutons
- Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper
Preparation
- Vinaigrette – Combine the balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette thickens.
- Sauté slices of a baguette in olive oil until lightly browned on both sides. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Separate the radicchio leaves and soak them in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and dry the leaves. Cut leaves into 1-inch pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the radicchio and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and slowly add approximately half of the vinaigrette, the royal corona beans and croutons. Toss together.
- Spread the Alubia Blanca beans on a serving platter. Put the radicchio salad on top of the beans.
- Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper.
This Chardonnay vineyard, El Novillero, has for years been an important part of our Carneros District Chardonnay. It sits in the western-most hills of Sonoma-Carneros, and was developed by the Sangiacomo family in partnership with the Donnell family. This photo looks northeast, more or less towards Petaluma, which is about 10 miles on the other side of those hills in the background. Photo by Mike Pucci
Barbara makes this refreshing and tasty salad frequently during the summer and early fall, and it can serve equally well as a starter or a main course. While it goes with white or red wine, I’ve come to prefer it with a glass of our Carneros District Chardonnay — or a Jean-Marc Roulot Bourgogne Blanc — at the start of a meal.
Neyers Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay
During these final days of September, we’ve enjoyed several cold, foggy mornings in Conn Valley. The chilly weather extends the growing season, allowing the acid level in the grapes to remain high, while the seed cores of the individual grapes ripen. Fog is always welcome at this time of the harvest, and plays an important role in the high quality of our Napa Valley wines.
Tadeo, Bernardo and Alfredo at work receiving Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at our sorting table last week. The three of them represent a combined total of 53 years of winemaking experience at Neyers Winery. They are ably assisted this year by our harvest intern Jacob Adams of Arizona.
Photos by Lizzie Neyers Mix
