Fewer and fewer wineries in the Pacific Northwest handle Chardonnay in this manner — and almost none can afford to offer it at this price. Juan Muñoz-Oca’s team picked it Oct. 3 from Block 95 near the Paterson winery, and then fermented the lot in eight new French oak barrels for 17 months, stirring the lees virtually every week. That accounts for the nose of toast, vanilla, butterscotch, apple and Lemonhead candy. On the palate, it straddles both sides of the spectrum with continued flavors of butterscotch, lemon and toast. There’s some creaminess from the malolactic in the midpalate, followed by a cleansing burst of food-friendly lemony acidity.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 200 cases
Alcohol: 14.5%
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