A layered and energetic Chardonnay from Tapanappa, this Piccadilly Valley comes from a cool and late vintage – the coolest of four successive cooler years from 2020.
Seeing a third new French oak, a creme brulee and caramel creaminess talks to me along with cashews and almonds. Glace pineapple, figs, yellow peaches and barbecued nectarines light things up along with a good dose of green apple. The more I scratch the surface the more I find. A rub of butterscotch pushes forward with some lemon juice on its tail and a cheeky cameo of vanilla pod. So layered but drying with a chalky feel, it seems a little short-tempered for now. That tight shape will have it singing with some more bottle age and I reckon it will be humming in a few years.
Drink 2026 to eight years.
94 points
