2017 Failla Haynes Vineyard Chardonnay

Failla is on the Sonoma Coast. It was founded in 1998 by the husband-and-wife team of Ehren Jordan and Anne-Marie Failla and it was known as Failla Jordan. Three years later they were legally required to change the name of their winery because of an already existing winery called Jordan Vineyards. Failla Jordan shortened their business name simply to Failla with the 2002 vintage. Winemaker Ehren Jordan worked in winemaking in the Rhone Valley and then became winemaker at Neyers Vineyards and Turley Wine Cellars. Failla makes primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Robert M. Parker Jr. has generally rated Failla wines in the 90s, and notes that Ehren Jordan “continues to exhibit a French-inspired sensitivity to winemaking….Failla is an excellent source of elegant, flavor-filled, complex wines…”

Coombsville AVA is one of Napa Valley’s newer appellations, having received its official designation only in 2011. Tucked just to the northeast of Los Carneros and a few minutes’ drive east of downtown Napa, the Coombsville appellation is relatively large at a total of 11,000 acres. The elevation varies from 100 to 1,000 feet, and the climate is moderated by marine breezes from the San Pablo Bay. The main grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.