2018 Chardonnay The Twelve Rows

"François Labet, Consulting Winemaker at Jean-François and Vigneron/Owner at Chateau de la Tour, says that great wines can only come from great vineyards. So, it was off of a visit to the historic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 2016 that he left impressed enough to want to create a wine from this heritage vineyard. As owner of Chateau de la Tour, François Labet works with some of the oldest vines in one of the greatest vineyards of Burgundy, the Grand Cru, Clos de Vougeot. His family has over 450 years of experience growing grapes in Burgundy so he knows what a great vineyard is.

The Domaine Jean François Chardonnay is sourced from 12 specifically identified and chosen rows from the T15 block of the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, and is a wine of extraordinary pedigree. These old own-rooted Chardonnay vines have become, over the past 50 years, rooted in deep, fractured, rocky Monterey Shale, which yields a lovely austere and mineral-driven wine. The 2018 Chardonnay offers exotic aromas of white flowers, chamomile, and grilled citrus that echo on the rich, exquisitely balanced palate. A wine of great precision, complexity, and balance."