Dance Cellars 2014 Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills, $37
The official Chardonnay of Long Shadows Vintners, Gilles Nicault employs one of his prized French egg-shaped concrete tanks for half of this lot from Kaiser Vineyard at The Benches. For the rest, the nine-month fermentation takes place in French oak, but just 20 percent of those are new barrels. There’s a beautiful aromatic blend of French bread crust, Gala apple, lemon and tropical notes. Inside, it leads with pineapple and apple flavors, backed by grapefruit and Granny Smith apple. The finish offers a long trail of lemon oil and Gala apple as the focus remains on fruit rather than wood. Dance Cellars is part of its “Family Wines” tier.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 175 cases
Alcohol: 14.8%
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