Harvest started late in 2006 and Chardonnay is one of the last varieties to ripen in Anderson Valley. By mid October the weather was sunny but the nights were cold causing the vines to shut down. Usually we pick a vineyard as a complete block but these fields had ripened unevenly. The vineyard crew used tape to mark off the sections of our estate Chardonnay vineyards with the most developed fruit. A few days later each of Navarro's fields were harvested as two lots: first the ripest sections and then the balance. The Dijon clones are a group of Chardonnay clones selected in France for top wine quality and in our climate they ripen a week or so earlier than the California clones we have traditionally grown.

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It's no surprise that the base wine for the Première Reserve comes from an 11 year old terraced planting of the Dijon clones at the top of our best Chardonnay field called Hammer Olsen, the name of the Finnish farmer who once cultivated hay in the field. Most of the balance comes from the ripe-selected sections of the Hammer Olsen block, planted 25 years ago to the California Robert Young field-selection. The wine has restrained alcohol, subtle apple-lemon fruit and a gentle layer of vanilla and buttered toast. Because of Navarro's stringent ripeness requirements we have less than usual to sell. Gold Medal winner. Best of Class.

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