2017 Estate Chardonnay - Eden Rift Vineyards

Fresh Meyer Lemon, ocean air, barely-ripe peach. Juicy Asian pear, cinnamon stick, Fuji apple slice. Salted pineapple and yellow nectarine lead a delicate yet expressive procession of bright and energetic fruit playfully bolstered by jasmine, straw bale, and sea spray. Lifted floral tones of honeysuckle and orange blossom further enhance the gorgeously fragrant display with the assistance of clove and pretty barrel spice. An intriguing note of wild honey highlights a captivating natural undercurrent while crushed limestone and chalky minerality steal the show with a complex exhibition of rocks and earth. Subtly round yet quite nervy on the palate; somehow coming across impressively generous and mouth-filling while also remaining edgy, mineral, and cerebral. Perfectly in balance with pristinely elevated acidity fleshing out its medium bodied frame. This 2017 Estate Chardonnay by Eden Rift Vineyards is a pure, elegant, and terroir expressive white from the Cienega Valley of San Benito County.

Located in the foothills of the Galiban Mountains directly adjacent to a limestone quarry, Eden Rift Vineyards sits on a historic property that is truly one of California's most intriguing and unique winegrowing sites. This bottling, crafted by Eden Rift using Chardonnay sourced entirely from their Cienega Valley estate, proves that this tiny corner of California's central coast is an unassuming yet spectacularly impressive viticultural wonderland. Thanks to the estate's moderate climate the fruit profile here is ripe yet decidedly fresh and juicy, and it reveals only mild oak influence supported by an incredible dose of distinctly saline calcareous minerality. Its focus, energy, and tension are all truly compelling as it manages to remain lively and vivacious despite significant concentration. Outstandingly executed and absolutely world class.