2020 Genevieve's Block Chardonnay

A wine of real substance and class, the 2020 Chardonnay Genevieve's Block's shows what was possible in this very difficult vintage. Hints of marzipan, lemon confit, hazelnut, dried flowers, chamomile, jasmine and apricot build effortlessly in the glass. There's lovely complexity here.

From the Devoto Vineyard, the 2020 Chardonnay Genevieve's Block shifts into another gear with its ripe golden fruit of apricot, almond, and wet stone. Medium to full-bodied, it offers good extract but is more about its mineral texture, revealing notes of lemon pith, ripe pineapple, and well-balanced baking spices. More citrus-toned, with a long persistent finish, it will need time to unfold over the next 6-8 years. Joe Donelan came to the wine world after he received what he calls “a life-changing education” from a sommelier on Nantucket in the 1980s. Today he is joined by his two sons, Tripp and Cushing, who oversee sales and marketing respectively. David Milner has been the head winemaker since 2017 after previously working at Groth and Eisele Vineyard. Donelan himself has worked with the Obsidian Vineyard in Knights Valley since 2001 and was able to purchase the site in 2015. Sadly, in 2017, the vineyard fell victim to that year’s fires, but they have since put a new emphasis on replanting with greater vine density. The style of the estate certainly does not shy away from ripeness, although they are wines with finesse and elegance. I am especially a fan of the wines they’re producing in the cooler Bennett Valley. The wines for this report were tasted at their Santa Rosa winery in May.