Neyers - 'El Novillero Vineyard' Chardonnay

This magnificent Carneros District vineyard is owned by siblings Bruce, Nancy and Sandy Donnell, and was developed 30 years ago in partnership with the Sangiacomo Family. We began to buy the fruit from the vineyard in 1992, and along with our then consulting winemaker Helen Turley, soon recognized that the grapes gave us an opportunity to produce a single vineyard bottling that represented a great step forward in California winemaking. The vineyard is on a southeast facing slope at the western limit of the Carneros AVA. It sits at about 250 meters in elevation. Cool breezes and fog from the San Francisco Bay are part of the daily weather pattern during the growing season, and the soil is a mix of clay with pebbly basalt. Together they trap the warmth and allow for adequate drainage.Bruce Neyers: These lovely Chardonnay grapes are grown in a secluded spot 600 feet above the southwestern corner of the Carneros AVA. The vines are on the crest of a dramatic slope, facing southeast in a natural amphitheater. Chilly breezes come in from the nearby San Francisco Bay. Great Chardonnay is grown here!