Winemaker Dan Petroski loves elegant whites, so he picks his Chardonnay at low potential alcohol when the acids are also profound. He sources this wine from the Hyde Vineyard in Carneros, and its Brix in the 2016 harvest was 21.5 degrees. He fermented the fruit in barrel, 85 percent new French, and suppressed malolactic.
The acidity and wood treatment make this wine largely about structure. The color is pale yellow, and its fragrance offers the keynote Chardonnay citrus-honeydew muskiness without any cream or sweetness. It inherits a roundness from the barrel, but the attack is sharp, and the wine sluices into a juicy mouthful of lemony musk before receding in an earth-toned finish.
It really needs food. The pronounced acidity makes it a good partner for fish crudo, chèvre, citrusy salads, and raw vegetables. The wood armature makes it substantial enough for foods with richness, too. Don’t serve it too cold.
13.3% abv | $45 (sample)
Have you revisited the 2015? I recall your advice to hold it for a while, and so still have not opened mine. Maybe time to just bite the bullet.
I haven’t revisited the 2015 since tasting the release in early 2016. It was fairly direct then—straightforward, and needed bottle elaboration. That was fifteen months ago; I recommend opening it soon. Let us know how it goes.