2009 Chardonnay, Pastorale Vineyard

The 2009 Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard shows an extra dimension of focus and cut that is missing from the Freestone bottling in this vintage. This finely sculpted, chiseled Chardonnay is all about nuance and delineation. The essence of crushed rocks and slate inform the vibrant finish. 

The challenge with a Chardonnay this big is to wrestle the power into  submissive balance. As it is, the wine is overwhelming in buttery new oak and awesomely ripe pineapple and  apricot fruit. It’s almost undrinkable now. However, there’s a brisk streak of acidity, and It’s totally dry, with a stony minerality, like a lick of steel. Try cellaring for 3–4 years.