2018 Ladd Cellars Chardonnay - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (8/5/2024)
– decanted approx. 45 min. before initial taste on Day 1 –
– tasted non-blind over 2 hrs. on Day 1; revisited on Day 3 –
NOSE: rich and tropical; clearly Chardonnay.
BODY: rich, green-maize color; lots of tartrate crystals (possibly from having been stored at fridge temp. (39 F)); medium bodied.
TASTE: medium+ acidity; richly flavored, but not overdone; noticeable back-end mineral. Day 3: still great; seems like it would age well over a long time. Drink or Hold.
And, also, a TN from a little while back that has been posted in another thread, reposted here for easier reference:
2018 Ladd Cellars Chardonnay - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (3/2/2022)
– tasted non-blind on Days 1 and 5 –
– tasting note from Day 5 –
NOSE: intense; orange oil and lemon; expressive.
BODY: medium rich yellow color; medium bodied; sealed with “cw” composite cork.
TASTE: high acidity; lots of dry extract; rich, intense flavor; medium-light mineral note on the mid palate and finish; light to medium-light oak note; 12.9% alc. not noticeable; seemed better on Day 5 than it was on Day 1; seems like it could age for a loooong time. Clearly CA, but not loosely-structured at all — quite the opposite. Very impressive.
50, 5, 13, 17, 8 = 93 (93 pts.)