2019 Estate Chardonnay - Holman Ranch

Juicy peach, blooming jasmine, pineapple slice. Lemon zest, shortbread cookie, sweet white nectarine. Gorgeously generous yet energetic explosions of apricot, white grapefruit, and honeycrisp apple highlight a succulent yet wonderfully tense display interestingly enhanced by hints of honeysuckle, hazelnut, and white chocolate. Bursts of white blossoms and gardenias emphatically emerge within wafts sweet floral perfume further bolstered in aromatics by a range of baking spices led by vanilla bean, nutmeg, and clove. Subtle notes of pie crust, marshmallow, and whipped cream advance themes of delightful decadence while suggestions of crushed stones and gravelly minerality expose delicately integrated earthiness. Unabashedly expressive, bold, and forward on the nose while remaining surprisingly focused and fiesty on the palate; exhibiting a fruit-driven and ripe yet simultaneously crisp presentation that maintains a beautiful edge despite its voluptuousness. Medium plus in bodied and carried by a streak of pronounced acidity. This 2019 Estate Chardonnay by Holman Ranch is a impressively pure and striking white from Monterey County's Carmel Valley.

Located near the northern tip of the Santa Lucia Mountains and just southeast of the city of Monterey, Carmel Valley is a rugged and mountainous appellation that benefits from warm sunny days followed by especially cool nights. This bottling, crafted by Holman Ranch using Chardonnay sourced from their organically farmed estate within Carmel Valley, is an exciting and enticing example of what is possible in this unique coastal region. Although it boasts a thoroughly ripe stone-fruit driven attack this wine remains impressively nervy and precise, and it's noticeable kiss of new oak does not detract from beautiful tension and crispness. It is bold and amplified yet still wonderfully balanced, and does tremendous justice to the distinct terroir from which it was shaped. Excellent.