Crunchy yellow apple, bright jasmine, squeezed lemon. Juicy Bartlett pear, ocean air, underripe peach. Powerful pulses of citrus zest, cantaloupe, and loquat highlight a plump yet refreshingly tart fruit core complicated by hints of crushed rock, honeysuckle, and straw. Pretty wafts of orchard blossom and white flowers gently emerge revealing straightforward floral perfume that collides with slightly reductive tones of struck flint and smoke. Subtle impressions of brioche and cottage cheese expose just a touch of leesy charm while mild salinity and smooth minerality impart delicate underlying earthiness. Broad and full-throttle on the palate while simultaneously remaining quite clean and crisp; exhibiting a beautifully fruit-driven presentation that marries subtle roundness with terrific intensity and a lingering finish. Fully bodied yet fleshed out by nicely elevated acidity. This 2017 Sunchase Vineyard "Un-Oaked" Chardonnay by Pellet Estate is an impressively pure-fruited, fresh, and serious white from Sonoma County's Petaluma Gap.

Though many would consider the archetypal Sonoma County Chardonnay profile to be buttery and well-oaked, a number of producers in the region are flipping the script by choosing to eschew oak aging altogether. This bottling, crafted by Pellet Estate using Chardonnay sourced from the Sunchase Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap, showcases the merits of pursuing stainless steel aging as a stylistic choice. Though still substantially ripe and generous there are no traces of any butter or cream here, rather fruit and floral notes steal the show with the complement of noticeable leesiness and a hint of steely reductive charm. This wine is well constructed and actually quite powerful while retaining terrific crispness and freshness, and certainly could convert even the most ardent oaked Chardonnay fan. Well done.