2018 Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel Chardonnay

The 2018 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard captures all of the grandeur and exoticism that make the best wines from this site so incredibly compelling. Apricot, white flowers, white pepper and marzipan envelop the palate. As always, the Heintz Chardonnay is marked by a very distinctive feeling of oiliness. The 2018 is all class.

Winemaker Andy Smith says that because of the very large crops and big clusters in 2018, there was some inevitable botrytis character in the 2018 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard. Although the nose is youthfully tight, the petrichor and flint aromas open to lemon drop and tropical hints, and the palate, which is tight, linear and bright, hints at more savory layers to come, finishing lifted and ethereal. This vintage has loads of personality and should be very long lived.

One of the early highlights in this range, the 2018 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard is wonderfully precise and nuanced. The natural richness of this site comes through, but the 2018 is a bit more focused and pointed than it usually is. Exotic floral notes and hints of tropical fruits play off striking mineral underpinnings. This is such a vivid and captivating young Chardonnay.