2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley
94 Points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Artesa’s Estate Vineyard Chardonnay from Los Carneros, Napa Valley, is an elegantly restrained wine with Meyer lemon and white blossom aromas, a hint of lemongrass, and a silky, balanced oak touch. It ends with crisp acidity and notes of Honeycrisp apple, stone fruit, and vanilla. It’s enjoyable now but will develop finesse and complexity until 2030.
In 2019, the weather conditions in Los Carneros returned to a more typical pattern. The year began with a slightly wetter winter compared to previous years, followed by characteristic Los Carneros weather with morning fog and mild temperatures in spring. Late rainfall in May reduced the need for irrigation, and moderate temperatures prevailed, ideal for grape growing. Summer brought varying weather intensities to different regions, highlighting their unique micro-climates. Harvesting began in mid-August for sparkling wines and shortly after for still Pinot Noir. From mid-September to mid-October, the vintage showed complexity, with various grape varieties reaching optimal maturity. Overall, the fruit quality in 2019 was exceptional, with white grapes retaining acidity and freshness, and red grapes developing rich and robust characteristics.
About The Vineyard
This Chardonnay comes from grapes grown in the prime blocks of Artesa’s Estate Vineyard in Los Carneros, Napa Valley, near the Mt. Veeder AVA. These high-altitude vineyard parcels benefit from a northern aspect, morning sun exposure, and less intense afternoon sun, allowing for full ripening while preserving natural acidity. The gravelly soils and 30-year-old vines contribute to the intense, balanced fruit with bright acidity. The wine is a blend of six distinct blocks and multiple Chardonnay clones, including Martini, Dijon 76, Hyde, and Robert Young, resulting in an intense fruit profile.
Winemaking
The grapes were hand-harvested at night to preserve their quality and natural acidity. They were then gently pressed as whole clusters, with 25% of the juice placed in stainless steel tanks and the rest in French oak barrels. The juice underwent low-temperature fermentation to retain its intense aromas, with 100% native fermentation. After primary fermentation, around 60% of the lots underwent malolactic fermentation, and they were aged on lees for 9 months. Finally, the wine was racked once before bottling. This Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is entirely produced at the winery.
Specs
Vintage: 2019
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Los Carneros, Napa Valley
Harvest: August & September: 2019
Cooperage: 25% Stainless Steel Tanks, 75% French Oak barrels, 25% New oak
Alcohol: 14.2%
Total Acidity: 5.8 G/L
pH: 3.74
Production: 1,200 Cases
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley Case:
12x 2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley
In the 1980s, the historic Spanish winemaking family Codorníu Raventós began to acquire and develop vineyard land in the Carneros region of Napa Valley. Opened in 1991 as Codorníu Napa, a sparkling wine house, the winery ultimately transitioned to producing still wines as successive vintages revealed the quality and potential of the family’s vineyard holdings. The winery was renamed Artesa – Catalan for “handcrafted” – in 1997, and has since become a leading producer of artisan wines from the varietals for which Carneros and Napa Valley are best known: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Codorníu Raventós is still family-owned and is the oldest company in Spain with a winemaking legacy in the Penedès region near Barcelona that dates back to 1551. Today, Codorníu Raventós owns wineries in Spain, Argentina, and California, and brings generations of expertise to Artesa.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Kind of forgot about Artesa, used to buy a smattering off and on. They went through a period of their wines all being pretty heavily discounted. Gorgeous property. But enough of my useless chatter, how about that Wine Enthusiast review mentioned above. It’s from 2023, so possibly an insight how it’s doing with a few years of bottle age. Or maybe not…
94 points. Editors’ Choice. A vivid gold color and extra-rich caramel, almond and butterscotch aromas grab attention quickly with a sniff of this full-bodied, unabashedly oak-aged and nicely mature wine. It feels rich and velvety in texture, concentrated in its baked apple and poached pear flavors. Ample baking spices and buttery tones linger on the finish. — Jim Gordon 3/1/23
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay - $60 = 23.07%
The bottle arrived just in time before a busy evening and an early flight would have kept me from giving it a proper taste. From the UPS box to the fridge for a bit and I’d say my later tasting was only very slightly above my preferred temperature for whites (which is honestly probably where a chardonnay is supposed to be?).
tldr; of the Casemates Chardonnay’s I’ve ever tried (and I stopped trying them a couple of years ago), this one may be the best. My wife, who hates Chardonnay, went back for a second glass.
IMO, a bit of subterfuge on the label tries to convince you this is a Spanish chardonnay and not Napa. They’re forgiven a bit because it tastes more the former than the latter, to me.
Bottled opened, color check, small pour, and sniff. Apple.
The WE review above feels spot on.
“A vivid gold color and extra-rich caramel, almond and butterscotch aromas grab attention quickly with a sniff of this full-bodied, unabashedly oak-aged and nicely mature wine. It feels rich and velvety in texture, concentrated in its baked apple and poached pear flavors. Ample baking spices and buttery tones linger on the finish.”
I might add some cotton candy (but not too sweet) on the finish?
It’s really nice. If you like whites but don’t love the typical buttery chardonnay, this might be for you. We liked it, and that’s saying something given our distaste for most California whites.
@pupator Codorniu established the winery, hence the Spain connection, name later changed to Artesa. If I’m not mistaken, and I very well could be, it is still Codorniu owned.
Sorry this is late. It took us by surprise, and we have some family things going on here.
I believe we got a bottle variation pre-maturely aged bottle. I only knew it was a Chardonnay, when I first tasted. It tasted like a Chardonnay that was “bricking”. I don’t know the name for a white. It’s that stage where it’s still tasty, but won’t be in a year. I checked the bottle year and wasn’t surprised to see 2019.
This was surprising, because in the many dozens of cases I’ve bought with a little age, WineDavid has never sold us a wine “too old”. Based on some research and the other labrat report, I believe I got an off bottle. It was actually pretty good, but my bottle would not be good in a year.
But it was quite good with food. I can’t get you a good description though.
2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley
94 Points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
About The Vineyard
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$540.00/Case for 12x 2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley at Artesa Vineyards & Winery
About The Winery
A Winemaking Legacy
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 2 - Tuesday, Dec 3
2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Kind of forgot about Artesa, used to buy a smattering off and on. They went through a period of their wines all being pretty heavily discounted. Gorgeous property. But enough of my useless chatter, how about that Wine Enthusiast review mentioned above. It’s from 2023, so possibly an insight how it’s doing with a few years of bottle age. Or maybe not…
94 points. Editors’ Choice. A vivid gold color and extra-rich caramel, almond and butterscotch aromas grab attention quickly with a sniff of this full-bodied, unabashedly oak-aged and nicely mature wine. It feels rich and velvety in texture, concentrated in its baked apple and poached pear flavors. Ample baking spices and buttery tones linger on the finish. — Jim Gordon 3/1/23
fwiw
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Artesa Estate Chardonnay - $60 = 23.07%
The bottle arrived just in time before a busy evening and an early flight would have kept me from giving it a proper taste. From the UPS box to the fridge for a bit and I’d say my later tasting was only very slightly above my preferred temperature for whites (which is honestly probably where a chardonnay is supposed to be?).
tldr; of the Casemates Chardonnay’s I’ve ever tried (and I stopped trying them a couple of years ago), this one may be the best. My wife, who hates Chardonnay, went back for a second glass.
IMO, a bit of subterfuge on the label tries to convince you this is a Spanish chardonnay and not Napa. They’re forgiven a bit because it tastes more the former than the latter, to me.
Bottled opened, color check, small pour, and sniff. Apple.
The WE review above feels spot on.
“A vivid gold color and extra-rich caramel, almond and butterscotch aromas grab attention quickly with a sniff of this full-bodied, unabashedly oak-aged and nicely mature wine. It feels rich and velvety in texture, concentrated in its baked apple and poached pear flavors. Ample baking spices and buttery tones linger on the finish.”
I might add some cotton candy (but not too sweet) on the finish?
It’s really nice. If you like whites but don’t love the typical buttery chardonnay, this might be for you. We liked it, and that’s saying something given our distaste for most California whites.
Thanks to Alice and the team, as always!
@pupator Codorniu established the winery, hence the Spain connection, name later changed to Artesa. If I’m not mistaken, and I very well could be, it is still Codorniu owned.
I have a case comming if anyone would like to share -So NH & Boston Area
Sorry this is late. It took us by surprise, and we have some family things going on here.
I believe we got a bottle variation pre-maturely aged bottle. I only knew it was a Chardonnay, when I first tasted. It tasted like a Chardonnay that was “bricking”. I don’t know the name for a white. It’s that stage where it’s still tasty, but won’t be in a year. I checked the bottle year and wasn’t surprised to see 2019.
This was surprising, because in the many dozens of cases I’ve bought with a little age, WineDavid has never sold us a wine “too old”. Based on some research and the other labrat report, I believe I got an off bottle. It was actually pretty good, but my bottle would not be good in a year.
But it was quite good with food. I can’t get you a good description though.