Miner Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019

The 2019 Miner Napa Valley Chardonnay provides further testimony to Miner’s great acumen and longtime success with Chardonnay. Sourced from select low-yielding vineyards in Napa Valley, it offers everything one could ask for in Napa Valley Chardonnay. It provides an enticing aroma and lively ripe flavors replete with ripe golden apple, pear, and zesty citrus, all gently balanced by deft touches of vanilla and French oak. In addition, Miner’s veteran winemakers employ malolactic fermentation in moderation to retain the wine’s bright acidity, a practice that adds complexity and lift to the wine’s fresh ripe fruit. Although ideal for current consumption, the 2019 Miner Napa Valley Chardonnay remains a young wine that will continue to develop further in bottle for several more years. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest serving Miner’s classic 2019 Napa Valley Chardonnay moderately chilled (40°-45° F). And like most top-end Chardonnays, Miner’s 2019 Napa Valley Chardonnay will benefit from aeration, much like a fine red wine. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2025. Enjoy!

In true Miner fashion, 2019 Miner Napa Valley Chardonnay is a wine made for the gastronomic delights of the table, one of several reasons Riedel uses only Miner’s wines at its proprietary comparative glassware tasting events. Consider pairing steamed blue crabs, Alaskan king crab legs, or lobster in the company of drawn butter with Miner’s bright, racy 2019 Napa Valley Chardonnay. Scallops in puffed pastry, poached salmon, grilled cobia or snapper, and nearly any white fish that is served with an herbed mayonnaise will offer superb companionship to the 2019 Miner Napa Valley Chardonnay. Prince Edward Island mussels in a creamy broth, stuffed Alaskan halibut, and most hearty seafood dishes that rely upon butter or cream in their sauces also provide superb companionship to this wine and ample reason to pour another glass. Chicken Cordon Bleu and creamy cheese and mushroom risottos provide excellent complements, too. Moreover, a glass of Miner’s 2019 Napa Valley Chardonnay and a selection of soft or rindless semi hard cheeses, which includes Cheddar, Caerphilly, and Gruyere, affords a mouthwatering way to finish an evening as well as offering a satisfying alternative to fish and meat. Enjoy!

Dave Miner began his career in wine in 1993 when he took over as President of Oakville Ranch Vineyards, which was owned by his late uncle, Robert Miner. Dave had spent a number of years in the software business prior to coming to Oakville Ranch Vineyards, but he was always an enthusiastic wine consumer and collector. Once at Oakville Ranch Vineyard, Dave, like many of us, fell in love with what some nearsighted folk would call just another commodity – wine. Fine wine to be exact! Fortunately, Dave has a natural proclivity for both fine wine and business.

Love struck twice for Dave at Oakville Ranch Vineyard. In 1994, Dave fell in love with Emily, who came to manage the winery’s tasting room and would become his wife and partner. In 1997, Dave hired Gary Brookman, a Joseph Phelps alumnus, to make wine and manage the custom crush business the winery had developed. Gary has proven to be one of Napa Valley’s consummate winemakers and remains with the winery. With the launch of the Miner Family Winery in 1999, the stage was set for Miner’s meteoric rise. A string of successes ensued.

Miner’s Napa Valley Chardonnay was perhaps the winery’s first great success, establishing Miner Family Winery as a premier player in Napa Valley. In 2004, Miner Family Winery was named to “Top Five” All-American wines of 2004 by Bon Appétit magazine. More awards and accolades followed. Miner Family Winery was honored as a Top 100 “Winery of the Year” in 2006 by Wine & Spirits magazine. In May 2007, one of the Miner’s Chardonnays was featured at a White House dinner. Subsequently, Miner wines have enjoyed the honor of being on the menu at five additional official dinners. And since 2013, the Riedel Wine Glass Company exclusively uses Miner Family wines at its proprietary comparative glassware tasting events and at select events officially endorsed by the Riedel name in the United States.

While Miner’s wines were racking up numerous accolades and awards, Dave Miner was planning for a sustainable future. In 2008, with a vision to preserve the land, Dave flipped the switch on Miner’s photovoltaic system, inaugurating the winery’s conversion to solar power. Today, Miner runs exclusively on solar power and is one of the largest projects to date in the Napa Valley that balances environmental respect and the aesthetics of the natural landscape.

In addition to fashioning some of Napa Valley’s most compelling Chardonnays, Miner also specializes in Pinot Noir, traditional Bordeaux and Rhône varietals, as well as Sangiovese and Tempranillo. Perhaps the winery’s most intriguing red wine is Oracle, a full-bodied red blend made from grapes grown at Stagecoach Vineyard in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. In Greek mythology, the oracle was considered the source of inspiration and revelation. To our mind, any Miner wines are an inspiration, and drinking them with family and friends will be a source of enjoyment that may just lead to answers to life’s most compelling questions.