2016 Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel Chardonnay

The 2016 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard sings of fresh grapefruit, Bosc pears and honeyed peaches scents with sparks of lemon curd, chalk dust, mandarin peel and lime leaves notions. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers loads of citrus fruit and floral layers with a racy acid line and satiny texture, finishing on a lingering yeasty/toasty note.

Some sweetly fragrant peaches and pear blossom lead to a subtly creamy palate that has lemon-curd flavor and a smooth, supple, balanced finish. Drink now.

From a cooler, foggy site just east of Occidental, on the edge of the Green Valley portion of the Russian River, the 2016 Chardonnay Charles Heintz comes from 35-year-old vines, was barrel fermented and aged, and bottled unfined. This deeper, richer, more powerful Chardonnay boasts sensational notes of honeyed orchard fruits, brioche, and salty minerality. With integrated acidity, a big, rich mid-palate and a great finish, it’s a quintessential Sonoma Coast Chardonnay to drink over the coming decade or more. 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.