This was bottled before the end of 2025, not long after harvesting, so its unusual freshness for a Chardonnay is to be expected. Yet its pale golden color does show some development, and the wine certainly doesn’t seem raw or rushed to market. Medium-bodied, with no overtly oaky notes, it offers appealing fruit notes recalling nectarines and Golden Apples.
Made from organic fruit grown in cool climatic conditions at 1,100 feet of elevation and released very early under a screw cap closure, one might guess that this Sauvignon would be puckeringly tart, but that’s not the case at all. Ripe flavors of white melon with a squeeze of lime are balanced by fresh acidity that offers just the right, bright edge for definition.
The balance between fresh sensations of pear and star fruit with richer tones of toffee and gardenia is striking in this supple and very pretty wine, whose lilting acidity washes gently over touches of vanilla and hazelnut. There’s a timelessness to its profile.
Comely white florals entwine themselves around honeydew, lime, and cinnamon-sprinkled white peach on the nose of this 100% Chardonnay from a 50-year-old vineyard that Merry Edwards has worked with for decades. Whole cluster–pressed, barrel fermented, and aged sur lie in (41% new) French oak for eight months, it’s luminous on the palate, bristling with acidity amid notes of citrus, green apple, and more white peach, yet there’s a softness to it too. Gorgeous.
Cherries dipped in dark chocolate light up the palate, its tart and sweet tones coinciding with white-peppered roses and pansies. Cinnamon and cranberry, with a hint of vanilla truffle, engage, and lead to a juicy finish.
Dach’s (pronounced “Dash”) northeast-southwest facing aspect and marine influence has an impact on this intense beauty. Graphite and iron are unmasked and weaved into violets, lavender, and dried leaves. High acidity and mild tannins reveal prominent notes of plum, while coastal salinity and soil play a role on the finish.
Dark, bold fruit makes a statement for this wine. And if the lavender and jasmine don’t grab your attention at first, smashed boysenberry, rhubarb, and spiced cedar certainly will. Generously coating the mouth with crushed, concentrated berries, notes of beef broth intensifies, with vanilla leading the path on the finish.
Deep, ripe cherry demands attention, coated with vanilla, candied apple, and tilled soil. Brightly lit with a racy acid structure, the palate is soothed with sweet basil, red licorice, and vanilla oak.