Chardonnay, "Deux Chevaux", Tamber Bey, CA, 2023

The 2023 Tamber Bey Deux Chevaux Vineyard Chardonnay is built from multiple clones; it was fermented and aged in French oak barrels, of which 25% were new for 14 months. This wine is deep golden in color; the bouquet throws plenty of aromatic intensity including of baked pineapples, golden delicious apples, ripe stone fruits including peaches in light syrup, apricot, yellow nectarines, glazed pineapple and fully ripe papaya. And there are additional layers of melting butter, honeycomb and vanilla. Not overly oaky or buttery but definitively California-esqe. Rich, fully ripe and extremely generous. And the palate is as intense as the bouquet; this wine tastes like ripe pineapple, apricot, almost over ripe cantaloupe, yellow nectarines and yellow peaches. This is a bold and mouth filling expression, pulling as much as possible from the variety. The rich acidity balances out both the intensity of flavor and texture; at no point is this wine ever heavy. Its mouth feel is fleshy with a creamy and rounded character. The finish lingers with notes of hazelnut, toasted almond, honeycomb and a perceived sweetness/ripeness of flavor.