Robert Mondavi Winery, founded in Oakville in 1966, produces its 'The Estates' range from specific Napa sub-regions. The Carneros Chardonnay is drawn from two sites on the Napa side of Los Carneros, one of the coolest corners of the valley. Here the vineyards sit on windswept, foggy slopes above San Pablo Bay, on clay-loam soils; cool nights, foggy mornings and afternoon bay breezes slow ripening and preserve acidity, ideal conditions for elegant, expressive Chardonnay. The 2022 California vintage continued the drought and was marked by a severe Labor Day heat spike in early September; Carneros' maritime cooling helped buffer the heat, and earlier-ripening Chardonnay was largely picked with freshness intact.

Whole-cluster pressed and fermented to build a rounded, textural white, the Carneros Chardonnay is barrel-fermented in French oak in the Mondavi tradition, then matured on its lees with periodic stirring to add breadth and a creamy mouthfeel. A portion typically completes malolactic fermentation to soften the wine's cool-climate acidity, while a measured use of new oak lends toast and spice without dominating the pear, citrus-blossom and stone-fruit character. The aim is a lush yet lively style, balancing Carneros freshness with Mondavi's classic oak-and-lees handling.