2020 Favia Carbone Chardonnay Coombsville Napa Valley 750 ml

Countless Napa Valley vintners will tell you that windy, cool Carneros is far and away the best place for Chardonnay in Napa Valley.

Forgive Andy Erickson and Annie Favia if they’re not among them

That’s because Andy and Annie’s home sits next to one of the finest Chardonnay plots between Carneros and Calistoga: Eleven acres of organically farmed, 30+ year-old vines planted in Coombsville’s volcanic, gravelly, alluvial soil. Struggling in those soils, basking in abundant sunlight, and benefiting from the invigorating effects of San Pablo Bay, the vines produced the beautifully intense grapes that went into the 2020 Favia Carbone Chardonnay.

Crafted by two of Napa’s most revered vintners, this Chardonnay matches freshness and weight in a way few outside of Premier and Grand Cru Chablis do. With inviting aromas of yellow apples, quince, vanilla, five-spice, yellow flowers, and clotted cream, it perfectly balances toasty oak, ripe fruit, and zesty acidity. It’s got dimension, depth, verve, and just the right amount of creaminess easing into the long finish—“light on its feet but sinewy as a dancer,” as Decanter put it in their 94-point review.

Andy and Annie are the superstar couple who’ve lent their expertise to Screaming Eagle, Arietta, Dalla Valle, and Ovid, and who produce Favia wines at their Coombsville property. The grapes for this Chardonnay grow next door, and Andy’s winemaking script brings them to life. He ferments the wine in barrel, arresting malolactic conversion but giving the wine creaminess by leaving it sur lie for eight months and stirring the lees regularly.

The result is a rare balance of body and crispness that stands with the best in Napa Valley.