This is honestly the first time I have tasted this wine even though I have seen it on wine shelves for years. The grapes for this wine are sourced from some of the highest elevation vineyards in Carneros around the foothills of Mount Veeder. This wine was barrel fermented with sur lees stirring and aging. 80% of this wine has undergone a secondary malolactic fermentation to enhance its buttery creaminess. Each barrel is personally selected for the blend by our winemaker. The final blend consists of 50% new oak. (Notes from Artesa's website)I purchased this wine from my local super market for quite a discount but I won't mention how good of discount! Let's just say I would recommend visiting as many grocers as possible during these economic slow times. You'd be surprised at the prices these liquor managers sell great wines at during slow sales times. It's almost like they don't what they have....but they know it's just not selling.
This is really my style of Chardonnay because I say if you're going to go buttery and oaky, then go really buttery and oaky! On the notes I get some creamy custard notes, along with aromas of baked apple, caramel, butter, creme brulee, and a touch of lemon curd. (This wine is also slightly corked) On the palate the wine touches down with a heavy dose of butter, more of that baked caramel apple, and some citrus on the finish.
This wine is really oaky and buttery and perhaps a bit clumsy and unfocused. There is far too much alcohol on the finish and I'm really sure the wine is corked even though I fought to get through the TCA when analyzing the nose. It's hard to get a good impression of the wine when that wet cardboard smell and taste is present, but I think I would enjoy this wine if that wasn't so. Corked - no score
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