Antica A26 Vineyard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019 1.5L

Antica is the Antinori family's Napa Valley estate on Atlas Peak, the name a contraction of Antinori and California, and A26 is its limited statement Chardonnay, made only in standout vintages and named for Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia Antinori, the three daughters of the family's 26th generation of winemakers. The fruit comes from a small selection of high-elevation blocks planted beginning in the late 1980s on upper benchland sites where cold night air pools and holds the mountain heat in check. Only free-run juice goes to barrel, fermenting in 100 percent new French oak and aging ten months on the lees with minimal malolactic, so the richness stays strapped to fresh acidity. The 2019 shows baked apple, spiced apricot, brioche, and crushed stone, creamy in texture yet energetic. In magnum, a format that takes the dinner party as seriously as the wine does.