2024Odette Reserve ChardonnayNapa Valley
“The 2024 Odette Reserve Chardonnay announces its barrel fermented origin with rich 18-karat gold color, fringed with chartreuse. A mineral-driven nose of quartz and crushed white marble underpins aromas of sweet honeysuckle, firm stone fruit, and lemon cheesecake. The palate opens with signature Old Wente clone vitality, reined in by mid-palate weight derived from complementary Montrachet clone and malolactic fermentation. The finish delivers subtle macadamia nut, vanilla, and caramel apple dusted with cinnamon.” — Winemaker Andrew Haugen
The 2024 growing season began with heavy winter rains that replenished the water table and aided vines in developing a full canopy. The beginning of budbreak was typical, aligning with the start of spring in mid-March. A warmer than usual summer saw 38+ days over 100°F. Harvest began on September 9 – a full month earlier than 2023. Following a gradual ramp-up, early October heat propelled grapes to ripeness, and we welcomed our final pick on October 14 with nearly every tank full.
Traditionally, Odette Reserve Chardonnay has been crafted exclusively with California’s special “Old Wente” clone. Vintage 2024 welcomes a new parcel from the famed Hudson Ranch planted with the opulent Montrachet clone. Both blocks feature well-drained, crunchy sandstone soils of volcanic origin.
The grapes were handpicked at night and arrived at the winery before sunrise to ensure fruit integrity and preservation of delicate flavors. Whole clusters were loaded into the press for a gentle three-hour cycle where juice was allowed exposure to oxygen before being pumped into a stainless-steel tank. After spontaneous onset of fermentation by indigenous yeast, the fermenting juice was racked from tank to French oak barrels where primary fermentation finished in three months and secondary malolactic fermentation was arrested by the addition of sulfur in the winter of 2025. Each individual barrel was sur lie aged and kept separate until the final blend was assembled shortly before bottling. Gentle fining of a portion of barrels provided polish to the wine’s finish.
- Harvest Date — September 9, 2024
- Blend — 100% Chardonnay
- Malolactic Fermentation — Partial (80%)
- Élevage — Sur lie aged in 65% new French oak for 16 months