One of the true thrills in wine is to experience a wine early in it’s development , lean, un-focused and short of it’s real potential - then try it again 18 months later to find a magnificent evolution has taken place in the bottle.

Such is the case with this W3 Napa Chardonnay.

One of the more Burgundian styled Chardonnays you may have come across in recent years, the W3 is full in the mouth and beautifully balanced, with none of the butterscotch heaviness that is common with California Chardonnay. The balance of acidity, weight and length is a joy to behold, with silky layered flavors of ripe Chardonnay & subtle vanilla.

These days, it is quite rare for a wine to have the chance to develop in the bottle long enough to show it’s best personality and actually be worth the price.

Two vineyard sources supplied the grapes, one at the base of Howell Mountain and the second from a central Napa vineyard owned by one of the most famous Chardonnay families in California (which cannot be named but whose Chardonnays age incredibly well and sell for well over $100).

Bottled at Ballentine Vineyards in St. Helena.