We began harvesting the Chardonnay from Paul Larson’s Carneros District vineyard on October 18, and it was one of the most bountiful and tasty crops from those vines in the 20 years that we’ve worked together.

The wine is dark and rich, with an attractive aroma of spice, black cherry, and an earthy minerality. The flavors of blueberry and cassis are charming and complex.

I was introduced to Venice in the spring of 1994, when Barbara and I traveled there to attend a friend’s birthday party. It wasn’t really extravagant, as we had already planned to meet in Paris after my business trip to France, so we just postponed our return home by a few days.

After a toast, he sipped the wine, and with his typical bright smile, turned to me and said, “This is delicious.” I was flattered. “Why do you make Carignan,” he then asked? An answer was hard to come by, so I changed the subject.