Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | U.S.A. > California > Napa Valley |
Colour | White |
Type | Still |
The old vines certainly show well in the 2014 Chardonnay Ritchie, with an almost Alsatian-like petrol nose that is starting to come on. This wine that is full-bodied, with incredible ripeness, purity and overall equilibrium, offers up plenty of tropical fruit and citrus, white peach and pineapple. The wine should drink well for at least another decade.
The 2014 Chardonnay Ritchie (the vines this year were 42 years of age) displays terrific ripeness, plenty of acidity, fabulous density, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel and a full-bodied finish. It should drink well for a decade as well. It sounds like a broken record, but Mark Aubert is certainly one of a handful of California’s finest practitioners of Burgundy-styled, classic California Chardonnays. He’s at the top of the pyramid for these extraordinary wines, and he’s not that far behind when it comes to Burgundian-styled, rich, impressive Pinot Noirs as well.