2020 The Messenger Chardonnay 787 Mount Veeder Napa Valley 750 ml

Mountain Chardonnay was once synonymous with Napa Valley: Producers like Stony Hill and Mayacamas set the Napa Chardonnay bar for years—so when we saw this off-the-radar Mount Veeder bottling on the list at The Kitchen Door in Napa’s Oxbow Public Market earlier this year, our interest was piqued.

And a single sip transported our taste buds. 

A joyful Chardonnay bursting with green apple, pineapple, and Madagascar vanilla bound together with plenty of tension and spice, the 2020 The Messenger Chardonnay 787 transported us back to the old-school Chards of Napa Valley's halcyon days. Exuberant and creamy, electric and hedonistic, it’s a marvelous white wine—and the price we negotiated on it turns it into a must-have. 

Coming from Rob McDonald, it’s clear why The Messenger is so impressive. He’s one of the founders of legendary import company Old Bridge Cellars and has led the charge in bringing high-quality, family-owned Australian wines into the US since the early 1990s—he even garnered special mention from Robert Parker himself for his efforts. 

In addition to establishing their own dry-farmed vineyard in Victoria and collaborating with several great winemakers in Australia and New Zealand, the indefatigable Rob and his wife Kat also founded Art+Farm winery in Napa, where they make The Messenger. 

Grown on the volcanic soils of Mount Veeder—where the elevation and the climatic influence of San Pablo Bay work minor miracles on ripeness and acid retention—the grapes were hand-harvested in early September, then hand-sorted before undergoing whole-cluster fermentation in stainless steel. Eleven months in 10% new oak barrels gave the wine a dash of spice and vanilla while keeping the backbone of acidity buzzing with energy.