A provocatively plump and succulent parade of baked yellow apple, juicy peach, lemon confit, and pineapple upside-down cake abounds with lush and layered delight as hints of salted caramel, melted butter, and brioche further enhance balanced opulence. Notes of clove, cinnamon, and French vanilla pleasantly materialize within a range of interesting barrel spices that are overlaid by fragrant honeysuckle, blooming jasmine, sweet peonies, and highly aromatic floral perfume. A suggestion of sagebrush subtly contributes an understated yet intriguing herbal edge that gently fades into beautifully delicate minerality. Amply concentrated, round, and mouth-filling on the palate while possessing surprising elegance, balance, and tension; exhibiting a clean, classy, and elevated presentation that boasts a brilliantly executed combination of energy and ripeness. Medium-plus bodied and brimming with bright acidity. This 2021 "Martin's Gold" French Creek Vineyard Chardonnay by The Walls Vineyards is a plush and pretty white from Washington's Yakima Valley. 

Although primarily known for its complex and concentrated red wine, Washington State is home to a surprisingly diverse range of white wine grape plantings and is able to shape a variety of world class wines from these grapes. This bottling, crafted by The Walls Vineyards using Chardonnay sourced from the French Creek Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, is an impressive example of the combination of depth and balance that whites from this region can possess. This booms with a rich core of orchard, stone, and tropical fruits that remain energetic despite their substantial ripeness, and it backs them with complex oak notes, creamy butteriness, aromatic florals, and nice minerality. It is delicious in its youth yet contains sufficient structure to improve with an additional 3-5 years of age, and stands up well against Chardonnay from any of the world's premier regions. Outstanding.