Far Niente Chardonnay 2021

Mouth coating, ripe tasting and practically sweet with its abundant fruit flavors, this wine is a show stopper. Butter, toast and lemon zest aromas lead to baked apples, poached pears and marzipan flavors that are thankfully backed by persistent acidity that keeps the palate refreshed.

Precise and aromatic, with notes of fresh ginger, lemon thyme and lemongrass to complement the core of lemon curd, yuzu, Honeycrisp apple and lime sherbet, while hints of toast and green tea linger on the finish.

Blended from vineyards in Coombsville, Jameson Canyon, Carneros and Yountville, the 2020 Chardonnay Estate is largely fermented in wood, with about 50% new French oak utilized. To retain freshness, about a fifth of the wine went into stainless-steel barrels and malolactic fermentation was blocked. It's a pretty, fruit-driven wine, with notes of apple, pear, melon and pineapple, but also full-bodied, creamy in texture and generous on the mid-palate but bright and vibrant on the finish.