Pott fermented and aged the Chardonnay in a mixture of clay amphorae, stainless steel, and used oak barrels, which means it hits the sweet spot between unoaked liveliness and Napa Valley richness. The amphorae, especially, don’t impart flavor like oak does but they do allow oxygen passage, and their shape makes them more or less self-stirring, which helps the wine gets its richness.
Hoopes' Chardonnay comes from three stellar sites: their own Genny’s Vineyard in Carneros, their foggy Yountville plot, and a Mount Veeder site owned by another winemaking family that Lindsay has gotten close with—Tuscany’s legendary Antinoris.
Cheers and all my best,
—James Tran
