100% Chardonnay

Food pairings: Butter-poached lobster, seared sea scallops with brown butter, crab cakes, halibut or cod, roast chicken with tarragon cream, roast turkey breast, pork loin with a light mustard cream sauce, truffled mushroom risotto, roasted winter squash, and creamy cheeses such as triple-crème, Comté or aged Gouda.

Winemaking: Bottled in celebration of Duckhorn Vineyards' 50th anniversary, with a special anniversary label. The wine was 90% barrel fermented and 10% tank fermented, using the classic technique of French oak barrel fermentation with lees stirring, then aged nine months in 100% French oak (40% new, 30% second-vintage and 30% neutral barrels). Only 40% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation, building a creamy texture while keeping the fruit lively. The 2024 season began with abundant winter rain and ideal weather at budbreak and bloom; warm June and July temperatures encouraged even ripening, and alternating warm and cool spells late in the season, followed by a moderate September, brought balanced sugars and vibrant acidity.

Vineyards and terroir: The fruit comes from some of the Napa Valley's coolest and most prized Chardonnay sites, including Oak Knoll, Los Carneros and Atlas Peak. In Carneros and the southern Napa Valley, maritime breezes and morning fog from San Pablo Bay help preserve the grapes' natural acidity.

Family and history: Duckhorn Vineyards was founded in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, who made their first wines, a Napa Valley Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon, in 1978. Dan's pioneering belief in Merlot as a great stand-alone wine, built on fruit from the now legendary Three Palms Vineyard, helped make Duckhorn one of North America's most celebrated producers and a benchmark for New World Merlot. Sauvignon Blanc joined the range in 1982, and the Napa Valley Chardonnay was first made with the 2012 vintage. Only four winemakers have led Duckhorn Vineyards since 1976: Renée Ary joined the winery in 2003 and has been winemaker since 2014. The winery celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026.

In the pictures: Winemaker Renée Ary; co-founder Dan Duckhorn in the barrel cellar; and the estate vineyard in front of the Duckhorn Vineyards estate house in St. Helena (photos courtesy of The Duckhorn Portfolio).