This is the most Chenin-like Chardonnay I’ve ever had, in the best way; golden apples and honey burst from the glass, with some high-toned oyster-shell minerality. The texture is lovely, richh and weighty but there’s still a beautiful spine of acidity running right down the center, and the mid and back palate feels like it has tons - tons! - of dry extract and chewiness. There’s a rush of stony citrus on the finish.
I know Gauthier occasionally posts here - bravo. This is a beautiful wine, and you should be proud of what you’re accomplishing. I hope you know your hard work is not going unnoticed.
I bought a mixed case of the 2017 and 2018 vintages and can’t wait to compare the two. (I also bought a case of the 2018 for my restaurant’s list.)
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Thanks for the note Sean. I picked this up from Winex a few months ago but they would only ship to my CA locker. I usually wait for cooler temps to ship to me here in HI. What’s your sense on age ability for this wine?
Honestly, it’s so warm and wide-open now that I will struggle to keep them long-term, but it’s certainly got the stuffing and animating acidity to go for a few years. I get the sense that the golden apples would perhaps get a bit more bruised and honeyed and if those are the flavours you’re attracted to, go for it!
These wines age well, and quite slowly. To my palate, a vintage such as 2008 is perfect to drink right now. I think 2018 will likely evolve faster than 2008, but I would expect it to be better in five years than it is today, with no deterioration by any metric. I have quite a bit of 2017 and plan on attacking those in 2027 or so.
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