2015 Napa Valley Chardonnay

Pale honey. Lightly vegy nose – very different from the 2016. A little bit of reductive smokiness. Again, lots of acidity that even now, after two and a half years, sticks out like a sore thumb. Lemon sucky sweets. (JR)

The 2015 Chardonnay emerges from dry-farmed, old vines on the property. In this vintage, the Chardonnay is surprisingly rich and unctuous yet it also retains its mid-weight feel. Orchard fruit, white flowers and mint, along with slightly tropical overtones, give the 2015 much of its distinctive personality. Readers who can find the 2015 should plan on cellaring it for at least a few years, as the wine needs time to shed its baby fat. Tasted again after the reds, with a good 30 minutes in the glass, the Chardonnay is flat-out gorgeous. About 80% of the wine spent time in larger foudres, which likely helped it retain a measure of freshness.