Chardonnay
| California
Founded at the historic Larkmead Winery site in Calistoga in 1992, Frank Family Vineyards has grown into one of Napa's most beloved addresses, with winemaker Todd Graff farming over 450 acres of estate vineyard land across the valley. The 2023 Carneros Chardonnay leads with zesty lemon and guava aromas tempered by notes of vanilla and caramel-covered apples, with delicious layers of nutmeg and crème brûlée combining with hints of toasted oak and elegant waves of fresh acidity on the palate. Generous and rich, it delivers marzipan, pastry crust, and Japanese pear with salted kumquat on the palate, rich and viscous with an inviting mouthfeel, and built to enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years.
About The Producer
Rich Frank spent his career as President of Walt Disney Studios before he and his wife Leslie, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, purchased their first Napa Valley property as a weekend retreat in 1992 and quickly realized there was a winery to be built. The estate is anchored on Larkmead Lane in Calistoga, where they steward 380 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards spanning five properties across some of Napa's most prized appellations, from the warmth of Rutherford and Calistoga to the cool maritime influence of Carneros. The portfolio centers on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, with a flagship lineup that includes the Winston Hill Bordeaux-style blend and the highly allocated, single-vineyard Patriarch Cabernet from Rutherford, alongside one of Napa's few remaining méthode champenoise sparkling wine programs. Winemaker Todd Graff has been the driving force behind the wines since 2003, bringing a genuinely international résumé spanning the Mosel, Bordeaux, Australia, and multiple Napa houses before landing at Frank Family and never leaving. In 2024 he was joined by Alicia Sylvester, whose background includes Chateau Montelena and a deep focus on cool-climate Chardonnay, adding further depth to a winemaking team that has earned Winery of the Year recognition twice from the Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine. The wines are generous, consistent, and built to please both the cellar and the dinner table, which goes a long way toward explaining how Frank Family has become one of Napa's most broadly beloved estates.
