British Columbia winemaker Jay Drysdale has a laser-focus on Chardonnay for his sparkling wine program, and this is one of his four vineyard-designates. Two of them hail from Oliver, the wine capital of Canada, and this is from Secrest Mountain Vineyard near the iconic McIntyre Bluff. The harvest on Sept. 1 came at 19.5 Brix at a crop load of 4.1 tons per acre, leading to complex aromas of fresh-baked brioches and toffee backed by dusty white peach, pear blossom, apricot and dried ginger. There’s richness right up front with caramel, but that’s quickly overtaken by mouthwatering flavors of Granny Smith apple, Asian pear and Meyer lemon, making for a structure that’s delicious and beautifully balanced. A sense of minerality and more ginger in the finish — along with all that acidity — screams for a bowl of steamed mussels. And don’t forget the bread for the broth.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 167 cases
Alcohol: 12.5%
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