Merryvale Vineyards
Silhouette
2023 Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Auction 28 | Lot No. 143
Vintage: 2023
Merryvale Vineyards
Silhouette
Chardonnay
Napa Valley
5 cases produced
Highlights
- Silhouette is made from our finest Chardonnay lots from Los Carneros and Coombsville
- Traditional Burgundian winemaking approach to cool-climate Napa Valley terroir
- Spontaneous native-yeast barrel fermentation and natural malolactic fermentation
- Aging for 14 months sur lie in new and neutral French Burgundian oak barrels and puncheons
Description
Winemaker Andrew Wright and proprietor René Schlatter have blended this Premiere Napa Valley lot from a selection of our favorite barrels destined for the Silhouette Chardonnay. Our Silhouette Chardonnay is a limited production white wine worthy of a collector’s cellar. This hallmark Chardonnay captures the Schlatter family’s vision of crafting an Old World-style white wine from Napa Valley. Robert Parker stated, “It could pass for a grand cru from Burgundy’s Côte d’Or in a blind tasting.” Hand-harvested at night to retain vibrant acidity, the grapes for Silhouette were whole-cluster pressed to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank to settle the juice, then racked into new and neutral French oak barrels the following day. The winemaking techniques were classic Burgundian, using native yeasts and barrel fermentation. This resulted in a wine that is loaded with complexity, terroir and refinement, exhibiting the true expressions of the cool-climate Los Carneros and Coombsville sites from where it is sourced. A truly pleasurable wine to enjoy now or over the next 10 or more years.
Wine Facts
- Wine is unfiltered
- Sustainably produced
Andrew Wright
Winemaker, Merryvale Vineyards
Growing up in the Sonoran Desert, wine and winemaking weren’t part of Merryvale Winemaker Andrew Wright’s early life. A chance encounter with the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York on a post-college road trip awakened him, however, and with a healthy appetite he devoured volumes of wine literature and the wines they described, expanding his palate and shaping his philosophies.
Andrew began his winemaking career planting vines in the high desert outside of Sonoita, Arizona, for Callaghan Vineyards, where he worked the vineyard for several growing seasons prior to entering the cellar of Arizona Stronghold. These early experiences in frontier winemaking forged a deep appreciation for hard work, experimentation, and winemaking with intention.
Since moving to Napa Valley in 2012, Andrew has worked in the vineyards and cellars of Harlan and BOND Estates, Promontory and The Napa Valley Reserve, as well as for Fruition Sciences and their clients (which included Merryvale at the time). In talking about his experience, Andrew notes, “Napa’s incredible soil and climate diversity are unique in the world—with unparalleled growing conditions we have the opportunity to craft wines of depth and density while retaining balance and freshness. I am eager to explore all the winemaking possibilities the diverse terroir of Merryvale provides.”
As Winemaker, Andrew is in charge of production at the St. Helena winery. He oversees all winemaking operations for Merryvale wines. Andrew deeply believes that winemaking is the synthesis of philosophy, agriculture, science, and art. He illustrates, “Merryvale’s Profile Estate Vineyard is one of exceptional terroir. The differences in soil type, vine orientation and hillside exposure combine to produce wines of great power, complexity, and elegance. Every growing season we expand our understanding of our vineyards while further refining the winemaking processes in the cellar, resulting in world class wines that reflect a unique sense of place and attention to detail.”
Andrew graduated with a History degree from the University of Arizona before studying Winemaking at UC Davis. He lives with his family in St. Helena, and when not making wine, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and attempting to play the guitar.
Country born: United States
Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years
Winemaking Philosophy:
Andrew deeply believes that winemaking is the synthesis of philosophy, agriculture, science, and art.
Winery Distribution
Merryvale Vineyards is distributed in the following markets. Please contact the winery directly for the most up-to-date distribution information and to explore commercial opportunities.
Merryvale Vineyards Contact: Rachael Kroneder
Domestic:
- California ( RNDC )
- Colorado ( RNDC )
- Florida ( RNDC )
- Georgia ( RNDC )
- New Jersey ( Opici Family Distributing )
- New York ( Opici Family Distributing )
- Pennsylvania ( The Wine Merchant )
- Texas ( RNDC )
International:
- Belgium ( Top Courtage )
- Bulgaria ( Cartel Ltd )
- Canada - Alberta ( Marram Fine Wines )
- Canada - British Columbia ( Appellation Wine Marketing )
- Canada - Ontario ( Profile Wine Group )
- Canada - Quebec ( Blanc Ou Rouge )
- China ( Wiki Wine )
- Czech Republic ( 8Wines )
- Denmark ( Otto Suenson & Co. )
- France ( Vins Duvernay )
- Germany ( Movenpick Wein Deutschland )
- Hong Kong ( Telford )
- India ( Mohan Brothers )
- Indonesia ( Pasifik Mulia )
- Japan ( Nakagawa Wine Co. )
- Luxembourg ( Caves Wengler )
- Mexico ( Baja Wines )
- Netherlands ( Hosman Vins Wijnimporteurs )
- Norway ( California House AS )
- Poland ( Mielzynski Sp Z.O.O. )
- Puerto Rico ( V.Suarez & Co., Inc. )
- South Korea ( Chiko Vino / Cosmo )
- Sweden ( Skrubbes Wines AB )
- Switzerland ( Movenpick Wein Schweiz )
- Taiwan ( Creation Wines )
- Thailand ( Lovely Fine Wines )
- Turkey ( ADCO Gida/ Kemer Gida )
- United Kingdom ( Humble Grape )
- Vietnam ( Les Celliers d'asie )
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