Arnot-Roberts Chardonnay Watson Ranch Napa Valley 2022

 Watson Ranch Vineyard is perched on a steep hillside at the southernmost end of the Napa Valley. Exposed and unprotected from the elements, this wind-whipped site was planted in 1993. Soils at Watson Ranch are composed of calcareous clay over limestone. This soil type is extremely rare on the North Coast but shows itself in a narrow fin at the tail end of the Vaca Mountains in Southern Napa County.

Organically farmed, this Chardonnay is quite the antithesis of the style that has made Napa famous. With its high natural acidy, and mineral core, this is much more akin to the wines of Chablis, than the fuller, and broader style that Napa is known for.