WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Bien Nacido Estate Chardonnay always carries a more tropical tone of fresh pineapple, bright acidity and a notable spice from our limited use of oak.
TASTING NOTES:
Seared lemon peel, light peach and tart citrus-flesh aromas fire up the nose of this brisk bottling. The palate clings to a chalky, tense frame, which provides a textural balance to the fresh Meyer lemon flavor.
- Wine Enthusiast, 94 pts.
The 2019 Chardonnay Estate comes from own-rooted vines planted in 1973. It was barrel fermented and matured for 12 months in oak and six months in stainless. It's scented of golden apples, dried hay and roasted almonds, and the palate has expansive, honeyed fruits with gently tangy acidity and glossy spices from its 40% to 45% new oak, finishing long and energetic. Rating: 94+
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 pts.
Spice, flinty minerality, stone fruits, and a hint of gunpowder all emerge from the 2019 Chardonnay Bien Nacido, a medium-bodied, vibrant Chardonnay offering classic Bien Nacido minerality, salinity, and character. It has some background oak, but the balance is spot on, as is the purity of fruit. It has lots to love today, yet it’s going to continue to deliver the goods over the coming 7-8 years.
- Jeb Dunnuck, 93 pts.
