2015 Estate Chardonnay

The 2015 Chardonnay DuMOL Estate Vineyard is another steely, concentrated, almost austere wine from the estate that’s going to demand cellaring. Dried herbs, citrus, white flowers, and salty minerality give way to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, backward Chardonnay that has awesome potential, yet needs another year of bottle age. I still remember tasting with Andy Smith while I was writing The Rhône Report and I was thrilled to be able to sit down and go through all of his wines on this occasion. Stylistically, Smith makes a fresh, vibrant style of wine, yet I never find them lacking for depth and or texture. Looking at the Chardonnays, these are made in a reductive, age-worthy style and the clear majority have distinctly Burgundian profiles. These are beautiful wines that, at least to my palate, surpass the quality of the Pinot Noirs, which are slightly more variable. Nevertheless, the top Pinot Noirs are certainly up with the crème de la crème of the region. While Andy favors a tight, age-worthy style of Chardonnay, the Pinot Noirs are made in a slightly more forward style. In addition to the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, DuMOL also produces a handful of world-class Syrahs, as well as one of the top examples of Viognier coming out of California. Both the 2015s and 2016s reviewed here are terrific wines, with the 2016s showing slightly more balance and elegance, but you can’t go wrong with either vintage here.

The 2015 Chardonnay Estate Vineyard delivers incredibly evocative notes of lemon zest, grapefruit, yuzu and lime leaves with touches of baking bread, marzipan, ginger and white blossoms. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is super fresh and minerally with a satiny texture and loads of citrus and savory layers, finishing long and perfumed.

The 2015 Chardonnay Estate Vineyard is just as compelling from bottle as it was from tank. As always, the Estate is distinctly structured and savory in its expression, with the fruit pushed into the background. Sage, white pepper, crushed rocks and candied lemon are some of the many nuances that open up in the glass. Bright, saline notes extend the finish in a powerful yet polished Chardonnay that hits all the right notes.