Opened this after my debacle with the corked Walter Scott Chardonnay (which was bottled under Diam!) My TN:
Well made, quite intense, though I find my palate drifting away from these bigger California Chardonnays and towards more restrained styles. That being said, I think this is a bit on the young side, so not sure how I would feel about this wine after a few more years of bottle age.
Very aromatic, quite ripe, pineapple, oranges, vanilla custard, and flowery perfume on the nose. Medium acidity, medium viscosity in the mouth. Feels a bit fat. Rich yellow delicious apple flavors, pineapple juice out of a can, creme caramel dusted with cinnamon in the mouth. Very floral on the finish, which is nice and long. The acidity keeps this wine fresh despite its somewhat lumbering frame.
While this wine is really tasty, and just the sort of thing that I am in the mood for from time to time, I can’t help but think that it falls into a bit of an uncanny valley for many Chardonnay drinkers. It’s not quite the big, bold, buttery, malolactic caramel bomb that some drinkers are attracted to. Neither is it the taut, acid-driven, mineral, Old World style that others love. It’s somewhat in a no-man’s-land between the styles (leaning a little bit towards the former than the latter). If this was at a lower price point, I might think the middle is the place to be, it could appeal to anyone picking it up off the supermarket shelf, regardless of their preference. But at this price point, you generally have buyers who know what they like, and it’s usually towards one of these two poles.
Nonetheless, this is the type of wine that I get a hankering for every once in a while. Like, two or three times a year. Very nice to have a bottle or two on hand. For me, that’s plenty.