Some of our favorite wine experiences happen right at home.
It usually starts with a simple question: What do we feel like drinking tonight?
Then comes one of my favorite parts—looking through the wine fridge and considering the options.
There’s the bottle we picked up after a tasting at Devine’s. The Pecorino we brought home from Seaside & Co. And a few bottles that made the trip home with us from Italy last year.
Each one comes with a memory.
It’s one of the things we love most about wine. A bottle can be something you drink, of course. But it can also be a souvenir—a reminder of a place you visited, a tasting you loved or simply a really good evening.
And this past Saturday, after considering the options and revisiting a few of those memories along the way, we settled on a 2021 Keenan Chardonnay.
Our History with Keenan
We first discovered Keenan wines at a wine dinner at Fins a couple of years ago.
Michael Keenan, who took over the winery from his father, guided us through several of the wines that evening. And we had the best time.
Michael freely admits that he can be a bit of a curmudgeon—which, quite frankly, only made us like him more. Between his personality, the story of the winery and the wines themselves, we were enamored.
Naturally, a few bottles came home with us.
Since then, Keenan has continued to pop up in our wine experiences. We’ve tasted the wines at other local events and at Forks & Corks.
And, perhaps most amusingly, we’ve even spotted Michael walking down the street in downtown Napa.
No, I didn’t accost him – much to the relief of my Partner in Wine. But I WAS very tempted to have a bit of a fan-girl moment.
So when we pulled this bottle from the wine fridge Saturday night, we both smiled.
Wine: 2021 Keenan Chardonnay
Winery: Keenan Winery
Region: Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.9%
A Different Kind of Napa Chardonnay
With glasses poured, we headed out to the lanai to watch the sun slowly set. It was August in Southwest Florida, so condensation immediately began forming on the glasses. I like to think that adds to the ambiance.
And then came the first sip.
Even at five years old, the Chardonnay was surprisingly crisp and refreshing. There is a reason for that.
Keenan’s Chardonnay doesn’t undergo malolactic fermentation. If you’ve ever had a Chardonnay that tasted particularly rich, creamy or buttery, malolactic fermentation may have played a role.
Sip Savvy
What is Malolactic Fermentation?
Malolactic fermentation (often called MLF or even “malo”) is a winemaking process that converts sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid. It can give Chardonnay a rounder, creamier texture and sometimes those familiar buttery notes. When a winemaker skips MLF, the wine can retain more of its natural acidity and freshness.
Keenan skips that step.
The wine is still fermented and aged in French and American oak barrels, and it spends time on the lees—meaning the wine spends extra time with the yeast after fermentation—which can add texture and richness. But without malolactic fermentation, it keeps a freshness that made this bottle particularly appealing on a muggy Florida evening.
And it’s a good reminder of something we talk about often: “Chardonnay” doesn’t describe one single style of wine.
If you think you don’t like Chardonnay because you don’t enjoy big, buttery versions, don’t give up on the grape quite yet. Try one that hasn’t gone through malolactic fermentation – or simply ask the person behind the bar, or at the wine shop, to recommend a Chardonnay that isn’t buttery. They’ll be happy to guide you.
What Did the 2021 Keenan Chardonnay Taste Like?
For us, it was all about the fruit.
We found beautiful apricot and pear, along with some apple. There was enough weight and texture to remind you that this wasn’t a simple, light white wine, but the oak never dominated our experience.
That balance was what we loved.
It was crisp enough for an August evening on the lanai, yet had enough body and complexity that we were perfectly happy sipping it slowly on its own.
Interestingly, Keenan’s own notes describe ripe pear, green apple, citrus and white peach, with a touch of toasted oak on the finish.
James Suckling awarded this vintage 93 points, noting its apple, pear and lemon characteristics along with its crisp acidity. But if you haven’t figured it out quite yet…points aren’t really how we choose our wines. We like what we like—and so should you.
Want to try it? While the 2021 we opened is an older vintage, the 2023 Keenan Chardonnay is currently available. We haven’t tried this vintage yet, but after our experience with the 2021, it’s one we’d happily try (and it also got 93 points from Suckling). Shop the 2023 Keenan Chardonnay →
The Sip Savvy Takeaway
This bottle reinforced two things we love about wine.
First, don’t assume you dislike an entire grape variety based on one style of it. Chardonnay can range from lean and mineral to rich and buttery—and just about everywhere in between. Winemaking choices such as malolactic fermentation and oak aging can dramatically change what ends up in your glass.
And second, sometimes choosing a bottle is about more than what’s inside it.
This particular bottle took us back to that first dinner at Fins, the tastings we’ve attended since and even that random Michael Keenan sighting on a street in Napa.
And then it became part of another memory.
A lazy Saturday evening. Two glasses of Chardonnay. The lanai. A Southwest Florida sunset.
Sometimes that’s best wine experience there is.
