Chardonnay Napa Valley 2018

PAHLMEYER

Chardonnay Napa Valley
2018

Country
United States
Regulated designation
American Viticultural Areas (AVA)
Region
California
Subregion
Napa, Napa Valley
Varietal(s)
Chardonnay
Colour
White
Sugar
Dry
Producer's website

About this winery

Pahlmeyer was founded in 1986, by a desire to be great by its eponymous creator Jayson Pahlmeyer. With a dream to create a California Mouton, Jayson and his partners spared no resource to make this dream a reality. Whether it was finding the perfect piece of land high atop Napa Valley’s Atlas Peak or covertly smuggling in Bordeaux cuttings, all pieces of Pahlmeyer’s history have led to its place as one of the top brand names from Napa Valley. From the very beginning, Pahlmeyer has been...

See the PAHLMEYER detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

After plentiful winter rains, the 2018 growing season began with an early budbreak. Serene springtime weather — warm and sunny throughout — allowed vines to develop at an ideal pace. An optimal fruit set yielded consistent, uniform clusters. Conditions stayed moderate and steady throughout summer and fall, extending the languid season and giving clusters ample ripening time to develop deep, complex structure and flavors. Harvest began slightly late, delivering clean, well-developed fruit into the cellar.

Production notes

Our Chardonnay was picked from high-elevation vineyards during the cool of the night and each whole cluster was inspected and hand sorted at the winery before being gravity fed into the bladder press. The juice settled in stainless steel tanks for 24 hours. After rigorous inspection, we racked the finest lots to 100% new French oak barrels and monitored fermentation daily, stirring the lees over the next six months only as needed to stimulate the process. After malolactic fermentation completed, the wine continued to age on lees for a total of16 months aging. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

Tasting notes

Blending classic Napa Valley opulence with Burgundian-style restraint, the 2018 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay opens with generous aromas of Meyer lemon curd, citron, toasted brioche and hints of delicate white florals. The palate offers richness up front and on the long finish, with mouth-watering mid-palate acidity and flinty wet stone characteristics giving the wine attractive depth and substantial texture. This Chardonnay delivers notes of crisp green apple, ripe nectarine and white peach that tantalizingly mingle with hints of cinnamon, vanilla bean and crème brûlée.

Press reviews

James Suckling

- 97 points -

James Suckling, March 2022 (Vintage 2020)

Aromas of sliced cooked apple, pineapple and praline. Full-bodied with salted caramel. Oily and very rich at the finish. Hints of lime and peach. Wonderful length. 1,600 cases made. Drinkable now, but better in a year or two.

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Jeb Dunnuck

- 96 points -

Not yet bottled, the 2018 Chardonnay is a brilliant effort in the making, showing a rich, powerful, classic Pahlmeyer. Buttered citrus, toasted bread, honeysuckle, and brioche all flow to a full-bodied Chardonnay that has both richness and freshness.
Range: 94-96

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Wine Advocate

- 94 points -

The 2018 Chardonnay offers up vivacious scents of fresh grapefruit, lemon meringue pie and fresh pineapple with hints of struck match, wet pebbles and cedar plus a hint of preserved ginger. Medium to full-bodied, the palate explodes with citrus and tropical layers, supported by a lovely creamy texture and plenty of freshness, finishing long and mineral sparked.  Rating: 94+

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