Antinori Family Antica A26 Chardonnay 2018

The Antinori family of Solaia fame has 26 generations of winemaking history long been synonymous with the famed winegrowing regions of Tuscany and Umbria. Seeking to expand beyond Italian terroir, Piero Antinori came to California and created Antica Estate. The name Antica originates from the words Antinori and California, and represents the Antinori family’s longstanding desire to craft exceptional estate wines that are a true expression of Napa Valley terroir.

"A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pym-Rae displays a deep garnet-purple color and reveals wonderfully fragrant notes of candied violets, wilted roses, damp soil and black tea over a core of red and black currants, black cherries and warm blackberries plus touches of cigar box and camphor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is evocatively singular, offering that rock-solid structure of mountain fruit, yet these are wonderfully ripe, silt-like tannins that beautifully support the elegant red and black fruit layers, finishing very long and very perfumed." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (10/29/2018), Ratings: 97, Drink: 2020-2048

"Slightly more expensive, the 2019 Chardonnay A26 is cut from the same cloth as the Mountain Select release yet offers another level of richness and depth. Lots of white peach, stone fruits, honeysuckle, white flowers, and toasted bread notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, beautifully balanced Chardonnay that has the class to drink well today yet also evolve for 5-7 years, if not longer" -Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 94, Drink: 2021-2029