My Personal Recommendation For You

Hollywood & Vine 2480 Chardonnay 2010 (regular price $59.99) NOW $37.99

Another Spectacular Production from Cali-cult Winemaker, Celia Welch!

Hollywood and Vine Cellars, where two guys from the entertainment biz have collaborated with Cali’s Cult Winemaker to make the best, hand crafted, ultra-premium Napa Valley wine ever!

True to its name, this winery was founded by two men with backgrounds in the entertainment industry. Former actor, Doug Barr (pictured left) was the inspiration behind jump starting this winery, to which he soon recruited his longtime pal, Bruce Orosz, and together they enlisted one of the most talented winemakers in the valley, Celia Welch!

When you hear the words Hollywood and Vine, that famous intersection in Los Angeles probably comes to mind, but for these guys, the name represents the partnership between friends and a mutual love of wine. Okay, but where does the #2480 come from? Well, when Doug originally moved to the valley, he purchased a piece of property from the estate of Maynard Amerine, a pioneer in the California wine industry. As an author and professor at UC Davis, he taught many of the most noteworthy names in the American wine business and impacted the art of winemaking world-wide. Doug found one of the books he had written in the old wine cellar, and so it was that textbook that got Doug thinking about the challenge of making great wine. Consequently, the numbers on the bottle – the estate’s street address number − are a subtle homage to Prof. Amerine, not only for his contributions to the art and science of fine winemaking in general, but also for his inspirational role in the creation of Hollywood and Vine.

The high-note of course, is Celia Welch, the winemaker who has worked tirelessly to find the most sought after, often hidden away, vineyards in the Napa Valley from which to source her wine productions. She concentrates on pedigree terroirs, low yielding clones, and labor intensive viticultural techniques in order to produce truly extraordinary labels such as Scarecrow, Corra, D.R. Stephens, Staglin Family Vineyard, and Hartwell Estate!

Celia’s production and tasting Notes:

Crafted entirely from the Herman Weimer clone of Chardonnay grown in the Napa Valley. Harvested by hand in the early morning hours. It was whole-cluster pressed, then barrel fermented with the classic Montrachet yeast and left to age in French oak on the natural yeast lees. The lees were stirred bi-weekly to add texture and body to the mid-palate. The wine was kept in barrels until just prior to bottling in June 2011. This wine did not undergo a malolactic fermentation, so its fresh, natural acidity comes straight from the vineyard to the glass!

Only 407 total cases produced.

“Sweet floral notes, warm tropical fruits and a touch of vanilla/crème brulee rise softly from the glass as the aromas first evolve in this intensely aromatic Chardonnay. Complex fruit aromas ranging from fresh apricot to baked apple linger and broaden on the palate as the wine opens. The natural acidity adds brightness and lift to the flavors in this crisp, fully ripe rendition of Chardonnay.”