Frank Family Chardonnay 2021 – 750ml Breakthru

92pts Wine Spectator

Powerful, with richness to the concentrated salted butterscotch, peach pastry and dried apricot flavors. Delivers details of spices and honeycomb, with elegant, fresh acidity weaving in and out to highlight the flavors.

91pts Vinous

The 2021 Chardonnay (Carneros) is soft, open-knit and very easy to like. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper lend vibrancy to this steely, finely-cut Chardonnay from Frank Family. All the elements are very nicely balanced throughout.

Winemaker Notes

This wine is perfumed in brioche and baked apple, with seasonings of nutmeg and vanilla. It opens in a rich, full-bodied concentration of citrus and white peach and evolves on the palate to show structure and depth. Bright acidity lifts hints of toasted oak, maintaining a fresh and plush finish.

Winery Notes

Take a trip back in time at the Frank Family Vineyards. First constructed as the Larkmead Winery in 1884, the building was refinished with native sandstone from the nearby hills in 1906 and still stands tall today. The massive stone edifice is considered an archetype of California’s wine country; it appears on the National Register of Historical Places and is listed as a Point of Historical Interest in the state of California.

Owner Richard Frank focuses his energies on making superb still wines. The winery produces Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sangiovese and several distinctly different Cabernet Sauvignons. The highly regarded Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, which is barrel aged for two and one-half years, is emerging as one of the most sought after wines in the valley and their Napa Carneros Vineyards produce some of the finest Chardonnay available. The Sangiovese, a rising star, is created entirely from grapes grown on Rich’s property and the Zinfandel comes from the Brown Vineyards in the Chiles Valley. Once owned by wine legend Hans Kornell, the winery originally secured its reputation with sparkling wines. Five sparkling wines are handcrafted today in the old building: Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, occasionally the Rouge and Reserve. All of these are made in the traditional French methode champenoise style.