Jeff knew there were no shortcuts to getting the oaky flavor and buttery mouthfeel he was after. But if he did it by the book, the expenses would drive the price of the wine through the roof. That would not do. The world wasn’t missing another good, expensive chardonnay. It was missing a great chardonnay that didn’t require a fancy dinner to justify its expense. Jeff knew to shake things up he would have to start with the main ingredient: grapes. So he secured top-tier chardonnay grapes at a lower price by working with local growers in California wine country’s up-and-coming AVAs, Paso Robles, Monterey, and Clarksburg. Now that grapes were secured, the question turned not to whether to use oak barrels – but which oak barrels to use? The solution arrived in the form of a question. What if he could get both French and American Oak in one barrel and skip the blending process all together? The Harken Fusion Barrel was born to answer that question. It’s made of 50% French and 50% American oak and imparts exactly the right flavors for a perfectly integrated wine. Jeff had changed the math. He’d rewritten the rules of making great chardonnay by reimagining two of the most cost prohibitive factors in its production and he’d done it without any sacrifice to quality.

That would not do. The world wasn’t missing another good, expensive chardonnay. It was missing a great chardonnay that didn’t require a fancy dinner or a fat wallet. So, Jeff started with the main ingredient: grapes. Instead of working with the ultra famous vineyards, he secured top-tier Chardonnay grapes at a lower price by working with local growers in California wine country’s up-and-coming regions of Paso Robles, Monterey, and Clarksburg.

French and American Oak each imparted unique and fantastic qualities into the wine, but fermenting in separate barrels and then blending them together would add another costly step. The solution arrived in the form of a question. What if he could get both French and American Oak in one barrel and skip the blending process all together? With that, the Harken Fusion Barrel was born. It’s made of alternating staves, with half being French oak and the other half American. These signature barrels add complexity and nuance for a perfectly integrated wine. Jeff had found a way to create exquisite barrel fermented Chardonnay without any sacrifice to quality.

Enter Adam Popp. Adam doesn’t just love chardonnay – he lives it. He has spent years experimenting with the interactions with oak and chardonnay and, in the process, he’s become one of the wine world’s foremost experts in barrel fermentation and barrel aging. His knowledge and craftsmanship have made Jeff’s vision a reality and given us all the oaky, buttery Chardonnay we are proud to call Harken.