About this winery

Francis Ford Coppola has a long family history with wine making. He was first exposed to the wine making process while growing up in New York. During this time, his grandfather and uncles would make wine in the basement of their apartment using the grapes that they had shipped in from California. In 1962, Francis met his wife Eleanor on the set of his first feature film. The two later moved to San Francisco and subsequently became the owners of a substantial and beautiful wine estate. Eleanor...

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Winemaking notes

The Chardonnay grapes used in this vintage originate from two distinct vineyards in Monterey. The first is near the Gabilan mountain range where the sandy loam soils result in a higher degree of flavor concentration. The second is located in the Arroyo Seco, where the temperatures remain relatively cool and the fruit maintains a crisp acidity. A lovely balance and greater complexity is then achieved by blending the wine from these two regions together. During the wine making process, the lees in the cellar were stirred on a regular basis to achieve a more complex mouth feel. Each lot was tasted independently once or twice a month to determine the perfect level of development. Another technique used in crafting this wine was to keep part of the wine in stainless steel and the other part in medium-toast oak barrels. This infused the wine with subtle wood nuances without overpowering the more delicate flavors.

Tasting notes

This vintage exhibits aromas of butterscotch, toasted almonds, and apricots. It is straw coloured in appearance with tasting notes of melon, pear, and citrus fruits.