NASHVILLE, Tenn. – BNA Wine Group, LLC has just released a 2011 vintage of its wildly popular Butternut California Chardonnay, and winemaker Tony Leonardini says it is the best Butternut to date.
“Our 2011 vintage is cleaner and brighter, but like our previous two Butternut vintages, it is a big, rich and nicely oaked Chardonnay,” said Leonardini. “It has rich caramel and buttered popcorn notes with aromas of apple, pear and peach resulting from the diverse vineyards.”
The 2011 Butternut Chardonnay is made from grapes picked at optimum time from the growing regions of Napa, Sonoma, Sierra Foothills and Monterey. It was fermented in stainless steel and then aged 110 percent in new French oak barrels where it completed malolactic fermentation. Once aged, 10 percent of the wine is removed and again put in new French oak to age, thus achieving 110 percent.
“Chardonnay drinkers have really embraced our Butternut for its notable taste and value,” said John Hooper, owner and president of BNA Wine Group. “The consumer response to Butternut has been overwhelming. We get emails and calls coming in daily from across the country, and it has quickly become the most popular wine in our portfolio.”
Last year, through passion, pride and vision, Hooper and industry executive and sales veteran Gary Carr teamed with winemaker Leonardini to launch BNA Wine Group, LLC, a wine company dedicated to creating distinctive wines notable for taste and value.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. and adopting its name from the city’s BNA airport moniker, the company has hands-on experience and a keen understanding of both sides of the wine business, as well as the capital and passion to help their wines take flight.
Unlike other wine companies, BNA Wine Group brings a fresh approach to the wine industry through an arm’s length perspective. This comes from being headquartered in Tennessee, while maintaining an office and a physical presence in St. Helena, Calif., where BNA Wine Group does business and has solid relationships with a spectrum of vineyards and wineries throughout California’s finest wine-growing appellations.
