
Best Buy! The most widely available Chardonnay to earn a 2023 Platinum also goes down as one of the best values of the judging. Fruit from a handful of historic vineyards — including Gamache and Olsen Brothers — undergoes stainless steel fermentation (67%) and neutral oak fermentation (33%) to make for a style that Rob Griffin has built a nationwide audience for, referring to it as “the girl who brought us to the dance.” Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples, starfruit and light butter aromas lead to complex flavors of ripe pear, fresh-pressed apples and slight creaminess from the partial malolactic fermentation. That pleasing mouthfeel still allows for secondary notes of salinity and minerality to peek out in the finish. Qualifying award: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold)
Rating: Platinum • 94 points
Production: 9,400 cases
Alcohol: 13.4%
Leave a Reply