First Chardonnay and so much better than last time. Clear medium yellow with high intensity. Toasty and warm on the nose, light tropical notes and white daisies. Moderate acidity (6/10) and moderate body. Creamy apples, smooth and lush. Balanced, just so appetizing. Long and lingering finish with some toastiness.

Stunning improvement over last time. This wine comes from the Napa Valley side of Carneros from a small 3.5 acre lot called the Lavender Hill Vineyard. This area is perfect for cool climate wines due to the constant fog and breezes blowing up from the San Pablo Bay. The fruit was whole cluster pressed and 55% was fermented in oak puncheons for extra space and cooler fermentation. The other 45% was fermented in small oak barrels, of which 88% were French oak and 12% were American Oak.

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This was the first of the three Chardonnays we got from Flora Springs Winery for #ChardonnayDay. Beautiful moderate intensity yellow, completely clear. Definitely a little tight with some slight creamed butter and corn. Later that evening it developed a more complex nose, with a little nuttiness, wet grass, freshly broken twigs and a slightly perfumed undertone. Moderate acidity (6.5/10) with lots of citrus notes. A little sharp to start but definitely smoothed out and became more rounded with more citrus and light oak influences. Slight tanginess, with a medium body and long finish. Needed the time to balance out and was worth the wait.

Jon Nathaniel Wines is owned and made by John and his son, Nat Komes. John established Flora Springs Winery & Vineyard back in 1978 before starting this venture with his son, Nat. This wine comes from the Napa Valley side of Carneros from a small 3.5 acre lot called the Lavender Hill Vineyard. This area is perfect for cool climate wines due to the constant fog and breezes blowing up from the San Pablo Bay. The fruit was whole cluster pressed and 55% was fermented in oak puncheons for extra space and cooler fermentation. The other 45% was fermented in small oak barrels, of which 88% were French oak and 12% were American Oak. Definitely going to try some of their other wines. Very impressed with what John and Nat are doing with their dream project!

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