The 2017 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay opens with sweet white floral aromas that lead into notes of lemon curd, orange spice, and intriguing hints of roasted almonds. A rich, viscous palate delivers ripe honeydew melon and custard flavors with good tension between acidity and texture. A kiss of French oak distinguishes the wine’s complex finish.
Composition
100% Chardonnay
Vineyards
- Pahlmeyer Estate Vineyard,
- Antica Vineyard
Critics
96 Points
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, January 1, 2019
Notes of white flowers, white peach, tangerine, flower oil, and white flowers. It's rich, layered, so pure and balanced, and is just a class act as well as one of the top Chardonnays in this report.
95 Points
Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator, March 1, 2019
White Unctuous, featuring succulent flavors of pear tart, dried tropical fruits, quince jelly and apple pastry, loaded with cream and spice details. The long finish is filled with light buttery accents and hints of hazelnut. Drink now through 2025. From California.
93+ Points
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, October 2018
Composed entirely of fruit from Atlas Peak and bottled two weeks ago, the 2017 Chardonnay gives very pretty white peaches, pink grapefruit, honey-drizzled pears and lime blossoms with touches of nutmeg, marzipan and baker’s yeast. The palate is medium-bodied with a slight, very pleasant phenolic grip to the texture and bags of stone fruit and pear layers, finishing on a lovely savory note.
Winemaking
- Winemaker:
- Jennifer Williams
- Alcohol:
- 14.9%
- Harvested:
- September 2 to September 13, 2017
- Bottled:
- August 30, 2018
- Released:
- March 18, 2019
Our Chardonnay was picked during the cool of the night and each cluster was inspected and hand sorted at the winery before being gravity fed into the bladder press. The juice settled in stainless steel tanks for 24 hours. After rigorous inspection, we racked the finest lots to 100% new François Frères French oak barrels and monitored fermentation daily, stirring the lees only as needed to stimulate the process. After malolactic fermentation, the wine continued to age on lees for 11 months. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration. This wine was vinted by Bibiana González Rave and blended by Jennifer Williams.