Keenan Single-Vineyard Chardonnay Spring Mountain 2023

If you’re unfamiliar, these guys are one of the most consistent wineries in the valley. Back in 1977, Robert Keenan was just an insurance guy turned winemaker overnight, with the dream of striking it big on the slopes of Spring Mountain while almost everyone else was setting up shop down in the valley. But it turns out the rookie had serious plans.

He would eventually convince the legendary Nils Venge – affectionately known as the “King of Cabernet”, the man who is best known for making history by making the first-ever 100-point American wine (the 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet) – to join the team. From there, the sky has been the limit.

High above the fog line between 1,700-1,900 feet elevation, Spring Mountain experiences the coldest and wettest weather in Napa Valley. The grapes struggle with rocky, infertile hillsides that create just enough stress to produce some incredibly concentrated, hauntingly pure wines.