Golden. Sweet egg-yolk nectar in the nose, an almost cola-ish tinge--muddy and bright--to the effusive pear and apricot and glycerin-ey warm papaya. A slight green-briar tinge anchored in citrus-zest minerality lays down submissively under the wide swath of tertiary. I've been playing with this glass long enough it probably is north of 60°, hence all the vibrant savory notes. I'm going to touch it up with something that will put us back down in to the 50°+ area before I taste it. No wait--I want to taste it first. Yup, it's coming off a little flabbier and hot that is ideal--and it's not the wine's fault. Temperature is SO IMPORTANT in white wine tasting, people. This can NOT be stressed enough. And wait till you get to the end and see what vineyards this is. OK, Back down slightly below 50°, and all the green apple and yellow pear is crisp and brilliantly smooth across the tongue, acid providing the perfect bite alongside--balanced and lovely. Bright cold iced herb tea and mild hard cheeses give surprising chewiness to the warm butter and almond visible in this 5-year-old Chard. This is just about the perfect age to drink Chardonnay. I try to keep a stash of them down at this age, but usually have to test them much younger. This is a beauty, an I'm guessing probably not complete malo and almost all neutral oak. The green finish attempts great rounding-off by the white-wine gods, but it literally has more tannin than some paso cabs. Just a gorgeous wine, and this vintage is STILL ON THE WEBSITE FOR 28 BUCKS. 2013 @VELVETBEE_WINE #Chardonnay #RitasCrown #radianvineyard #SantaRitaHills #SantaYnezValley #santabarbarawinecountry 14.4 (at Wine Ghetto) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxOhscdgVRr/?igshid=agcufixif9ex
