A brilliant, spicy and vivid wine that’s bright and tangy in citrus and kiwi fruit, but also offering white pepper and star anise flavors on the lively palate. White peaches, lemon blossoms and minerals develop as you sip. Medium-bodied and rich in flavor but lean in texture, with racy balance. Drink or hold.
Rated 97/100 James Suckling
Dazzling Chardonnay from the Dundee Hills Appellation bottling, Chris is focused on the Dundee Hills appellation; all of these sites are within two miles of the winery. This wine is composed of White Walnut, Apple Field, Olenik, Anderson Family, and Chris’ Terra Rosa sites. At $40, it’s hard to imagine a better Chardonnay than this. Everything is barrel-fermented in 350-500L puncheons, with very little new oak. Full native fermentation occurs, resulting in some browning of the juice. He presses long and hard, with no battonage for elevage. The wine spends 11 months in oak and then settles in tank for 3-4 months before bottling. Jumps out of the glass in aromatics, with notes of lemon curd, spice, and a flinty reductive element. The minerality soars, with crushed wet stone and a citrus austerity, complemented by a round, creamy lemon pastry cream. A dynamite Chardonnay with incredible texture.
Rated 96/100 Decanter Magazine
Rated 94/100 The Wine Advocate
