Crystal clear with lemon yellow hues. Expressive aromas over flow the glass with pears, pineapple and apple blossom. On the palate this wine displays a silky texture that glides across the mouth seamlessly intertwining flavors of pineapple, honeydew melon and early season nectarines with more savory notes of Gravalstien apples and cut hay. There is a creamy almost almond like note underlying the high fruit flavors, providing depth and complexity on the finish.
Winemaker Notes
Harvested in early September from vineyards overlooking the Petaluma Gap, the fruit was picked in pristine condition. After hand sorting the grapes, the grapes were pressed wholecluster, releasing the juice that was racked to tank and allowed to cold settle for 24 hours. The juice was then inoculated with a yeast strain isolated from the Cote de Beaune, France and racked to 36 month-aged tight grain French Oak barrels for primary fermentation, followed by a very slow secondary Malolactic fer-mentation over the next 6 months. The lees were stirred regularly in the first five months, giving mouth feel and texture to the wine. This wine represents the finest and purest hand crafted expression of our chardonnay vineyard and while is beauti-ful to enjoy right away, it will benefit from extended cellaring into the next decade.
93 – “Juicy and elegant, lush and balanced with ripe pear and tangy acidity; toasty oak notes and soft, silky texture; long and bright with depth and lots of charm.” – Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel
(90-92) – “Pellet's 2014 Chardonnay Sun Chase Vineyard is laced with tropical fruit, orange blossom, mint, vanillin and buttery notes. Despite its richness, this barrel-fermented Chardonnay retains good brightness and freshness, not to mention impeccable overall balance.” – Anthony Galloni, Vinous Media
(90-92) – “The 2014 Chardonnay Sun Chase Vineyards shows a slightly more strawish light-gold color than the 2013. The wine has plenty of lemon oil, white peach and a touch of honeysuckle in a medium to full-bodied stylish and Burgundian style. This is impressive and should turn out to be close in quality to the 2013.” – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate