2015 Tognetti Family Winery Chardonnay Aloise Francisco Vineyard Carneros 750 ml

Something magical happens to great California Chardonnay as it approaches its eighth birthday.

Flavors deepen, as toasty oak and flinty reduction start to meld with the rich fruit character of the wine. It feels more complete and profound as it begins its final ascent toward apogee—the final part of the parabola’s peak that often lasts until its fifteenth birthday, or longer.

The Tognetti Family Winery certainly knows this, and they do what few producers in California can afford to do: give their bottles proper time in the cellar before release. They can do that because the Tognettis bought their first parcel in Carneros in 1964—the loan on that land has long been paid off—and yet they remain a true hidden gem amid Napa’s glitz and glamour.

Jack Tognetti, a WWII veteran, purchased his 20-acre property in Carneros in 1964. In 1980, against common wisdom, he made the bold decision to convert his prune and pear orchard into the Aloise Francisco Vineyard. Many thought Carneros was too cool and windswept for proper winegrowing.

Named for Jack and Camille Tognetti's middle names, Aloise Francisco’s location near Carneros Creek and San Pablo Bay is now prized for providing ideal conditions for Chardonnay cultivation, with its cooler climate and fertile soils. At the site, the vineyard team performs all leaf-pulling, hedging, and canopy management by hand to ensure optimal airflow and sun exposure for each grape cluster. 

Tognetti’s winemaking philosophy emphasizes careful intervention to showcase the vineyard's character, which produces beautiful, long-lived wines. The process begins with hand-harvesting at peak ripeness, followed by immediate and gentle pressing to extract the highest quality juice—and in 2015, aging in roughly 40% new French oak.