Lemon curd, bright jasmine, freshly-baked apple pie. Juicy peach, crushed clove, sweet cantaloupe slice. Ripe pineapple, citrus zest, and cinnamon poached pear highlight an unctuous and luxurious fruit core evocatively bolstered by a warm dusting of vanilla, nutmeg, and indulgent baking spices. Confection-laden decadence advances unabated as crème brûlée, flaky pie crust, and buttered croissant further the voluptuous attack with help from aromas of honeysuckle and marshmallow dust. Sandy loam, table salt, and delicate stony minerality reveal mild inflections of soil beneath opulent notes of toast and caramelized oak. Round, fleshy, and inviting on the palate supported by surprising tension and energy despite substantial concentration and ripeness. Full bodied and nobly supported by attractively elevated acidity. This 2017 "Next Door Neighbor" Lone Oak Vineyard Chardonnay by Domaine de la Rivière is a rich full-throttle white from the Russian River Valley.

While creamy and decadent Chardonnay has become wildly popular in wine regions all over the world, this distinct style arguably reaches its apogee in Sonoma's Russian River Valley. This bottling, crafted by Domaine de la Rivière using Old Wente clone Chardonnay sourced from the Lone Oak Vineyard in the "Middle Reach" of the RRV, wonderfully showcases the extravagant sophistication this area has become so famous for. It is absolutely dripping with ripe, baked, and honeyed fruits drizzled with butter and baking spice, yet despite its weight this wine retains excellent structure and tension. It is bold, sunny, and beautiful; guaranteed to impress any lover of opulent well-oaked white wine.