The fruit for the 2020 Francis Coppola Reserve Chardonnay is sourced from an area of the Russian River Valley that experiences diurnal temperature variations that can create a day-to-night temperature difference of as much as 50 degrees. This phenomenon allows the fruit to ripen more slowly and develop an optimal balance, creating a more layered, complex wine.

This vintage, we sourced our Chardonnay from Coffey Lane Vineyard, a well-drained
parcel of land in the Santa Rosa Flats neighborhood of Russian River Valley with sandy
clay loam soils. The vineyard was originally planted to Merlot in 1997 but was then
grafted over to Chardonnay Clone 17 in 2007. These vines are hitting their prime
with small clusters that pack a punch of flavor.

The warm spring in 2020 made for early bud break in most regions, followed by a cool
March and April, and variable temperatures. Temperatures eventually levelled off and
stayed consistently warm throughout June and July and August. During harvest, we ran
micro ferments to test for quality, and found that the 2020 vintage wines are tasting
exceptional!