PlumpJack Chardonnay Reserve 2018 Napa Valley

The 2018 PlumpJack Reserve Chardonnay is a fantastic Napa Chardonnay. Aromas of white peaches, pear, orange blossom and warm apple pie filling are followed on the palate with flavors of Fuji apples, cinnamon stick and lemon curd. Very pleasant to drink now but the acidity gives it room to age.

Plumpjack opts not for the typical profile of Napa Chardonnay with this bottling, but for the "alternative," without malolactic fermentation, and the attendant buttery palate profile. The winery's vintage note explains: "The cooler Carneros site imparts this wine with fresh green apple and Bartlett pear on the nose, while the warmer St. Helena site lends to some tropical notes. The Carneros vineyard also gives this wine a beautiful, bright, lively acidity, which is balanced by the creamy, rich texture of the St. Helena fruit. A touch of oak gives the wine traces of vanilla, flint, and spice."