ZERO SUGAR & CERTIFIED PESTICIDE FREE. The color is pale gold with platinum edges and a touch of green highlights. There is evidence of being unfiltered with a very slight cloudy appearance. The wine seems vibrant and fresh with lively intensity in the glass. The aroma begins with spiced golden delicious apple, yellow peach, nectarine and pineapple. The tropical component sits at the back of the glass and comes through as the wine opens up. There is a touch of flint and reduction on the nose that I really like, it ties in with the mineral, fresh fruits, and the spice from the oak influence quite nicely. There is a subtle cream, vanilla, and caramel that is carefully balanced with the fruit and secondary flavors in the wine. The wine shows restraint and comes across conservatively on the nose, but there is plenty of complexity that unfolds as you swirl and ponder over it in the glass. The wine is dry and precise on the palate with layers of golden apple, pineapple, quince, and yellow peach. The fruit is slightly dried, but shows loads of vibrancy and freshness on the palate. Oak is present with spice, vanilla, and caramel, but finds balance with the rest of the components of the wine in a very elegant and pure way. The flint and mineral of this wine along with the slightly austere nature reminds me of White Burgundy, although there is a generosity of fruit and weight on the palate that reminds the drinker of a great California Chardonnay. This is the best of both worlds – a Chardonnay with power and finesse that shows complexity of flavor yet remains light on its feet.
