2012 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
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Tasting notes
Pahlmeyer’s 2012 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast surprised me with the amount of oak that was showing. Normally, this winery has the Midas touch marrying oak with fruit, but this offering revealed slightly more butterscotch and vanillin than are usually found in young vintages. Once past that, the wine exhibits plenty of honeysuckle, ripe apricot and peach notes in a tropical, intense, exotic style. This somewhat eccentric, oaky Chardonnay should be consumed over the next 4-6 years. Completely sourced from the Ritchie Vineyard, the wine was aged in 85% new French oak for 11 months.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(14.9% alcohol; 90% new oak): Full, bright, green-tinged gold. Sexy lime leaf, tropical fruits and leesy hazelnut on the nose. Rich and energetic, with pineapple and citrus zest flavors complicated by sweet oak and underlying minerality. In a distinctly Burgundian style, finishing with very good lift and verve. This is consulting winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave's first vintage here and she is in the process of reducing the use of new oak and lees stirring.