Myrna 2021 Chardonnay
A Prohibition era hideaway that today produces a completely distinct Chardonnay: bright with flinty, spine tingling freshness, yet the depth and complexity from old vines and great sites.
Myrna’s focused intensity of fruit and texture reflects its two extreme mountain and hillside vineyard sites.
The word Myrna translates to “beloved”, a reflection of our feelings about truly great Chardonnay: wines that can translate from their sites intense minerality, texture and a dazzling spectrum of flavors.
Heading west up the Oakville Grade from Napa, or coming east on Trinity Road from Sonoma, is one of the rights of passage when you first visit Napa and Sonoma. Incredibly steep and full of twists and turns, you climb from one valley into the mountains and extraordinary redwoods of the Mayacamas range and come down into the other valley. The 11 miles take about half an hour. Halfway up, at the peak of the ridge, there is a side road that even those who have crossed the pass many times will not have noticed. You already feel remote within the majestic surroundings, but as you take the small side road and head north up the ridge, you feel you are in uncharted territory. The road leads to Bald Mountain, the second highest peak in the mountain range, and another steep side road sweeps you to the west side of the peak, where nestled into it you find one of the most stunning vineyard settings imaginable. We understand that vineyards were planted here early in the 20th century, and that the site was in fact a hideout during Prohibition; this latter point makes perfect sense when you stand in the vineyard, far from everything.
The Vineyard Sources
Bald Mountain Vineyard
Sonoma Valley AVA
A remarkable combination of old vines, heritage clones, dry farming, altitude, and sheer beauty.
Reviews
"Cooked apple with hints of caramel and flint as well as stone. A touch of nougat. Medium to full body with a firmness and fine creamy texture. Crunchy fruit at the end. Very minerally with hints of lees stirring that gives it energy and stature."
- 94 Points, James Suckling
"The 2021 Chardonnay Myrna is a potent wine from Far Mountain. Dry-farmed vines in the Bald Mountain vineyard yield an especially deep, savory Chardonnay typical of sites in Sonoma Valley at elevation. Readers will find a complex, dynamic wine full of earthy, mineral complexity more than forward fruit. Dried pear, sage, crushed rocks and chamomile linger on the resonant finish. This is a serious Chardonnay for the dinner table."
- 93 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
"This wine is sourced from just below the peak of Bald Mountain, one of the highest points between Napa and Sonoma. A dry-farmed selection of California heritage clones and the winemaking duo of Mai Errazuriz and Rodrigo Soto. It shows the compelling nature of mountain terroir in Chardonnay. Aromatics of roasted chamomile, ripe pears, and a nuanced note of lanolin and beeswax introduce a subtlety to this wine. The palate offers a beguiling complexity, ripe pomme fruits, bruised apples, and salty sea air minerality, giving it a depth and sauvage edge along with its Meyer lemon and lemon verbena concentration."
- 95 Points, Clive Pursehouse, Decanter