2021 Antica Terra Chardonnay Abeona

This is the first release of this wine, and it’s an absolute stunner. Not a wine they had set out to make, it was born during cellar tastings, when they noted its singularity, and it’s unlike any other wine from Antica Terra before it. The 2021 Chardonnay Abeona is savory and layered in the glass, with aromas of lemon balm, crushed stones, salted pineapple, and raw almond. The palate is where this wine really stands apart and takes off, as it has tremendous electric energy, with great underlying density and concentration. It feels as though it will gain in breadth with time, as at this youthful stage its mineral persistence drives through the finish for days. Each of these three whites has a distinctive and unique personality, and this one shows off the exceptional range of styles that the team of Antica Terra can achieve at the highest level. Drink 2026-2040.

Impossible to ignore, the 2021 Chardonnay Abeona lifts from the glass with a delicate bouquet that holds the attention firm, mixing dusty florals, hints of raw honey and dried apples, all complicated by notes of flint. Like liquid velvet, it sweeps across the palate with elegant waves of ripe pit fruits, contrasted by sour lime tones as tactile minerals saturate toward the close. The 2021 firms up on the palate through the finish, youthfully coiled and structured, leaving a gentle spiciness and citrus nuances that call the taster back to the glass. This is the first vintage of Abeona, which was identified as a standout in the cellar during component tastings.

This first vintage of Abeona to be released tastes wonderfully energized and linear. It’s firmly structured with light tannins and an almost crunchy acidity. It’s bright and tangy, crisp and fresh with subtle pears, vanilla, marzipan and almonds. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.