2016 Highland Divide Chardonnay

From two vineyards spanning between 300 and 800 feet in elevation, the 2016 Chardonnay Highland Divide is from the Mount Eden and Hyde Wente clones and was brought up mostly in neutral barrels. It’s another clean, pure, elegant wine from Andy that has notable concentration, notes of tangerine, lemon peel, floral and cream notes, medium body, and beautiful purity. I still remember tasting with Andy Smith while I was writing The Rhône Report and I was thrilled to be able to sit down and go through all of his wines on this occasion. Stylistically, Smith makes a fresh, vibrant style of wine, yet I never find them lacking for depth and or texture. Looking at the Chardonnays, these are made in a reductive, age-worthy style and the clear majority have distinctly Burgundian profiles. These are beautiful wines that, at least to my palate, surpass the quality of the Pinot Noirs, which are slightly more variable. Nevertheless, the top Pinot Noirs are certainly up with the crème de la crème of the region. While Andy favors a tight, age-worthy style of Chardonnay, the Pinot Noirs are made in a slightly more forward style. In addition to the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, DuMOL also produces a handful of world-class Syrahs, as well as one of the top examples of Viognier coming out of California. Both the 2015s and 2016s reviewed here are terrific wines, with the 2016s showing slightly more balance and elegance, but you can’t go wrong with either vintage here.

The 2016 Chardonnay Highland Divide is another pretty, entry-level Chardonnay in this lineup. Citrus, dried pear, flowers and mint are all given an extra kick of energy from intensely saline notes that underpin the fruit. Although not super-complex, the 2016 is beautifully persistent and nuanced, which makes it one of the hidden gems in this range.

The 2016 Chardonnay Highland Divide is another pretty, entry-level Chardonnay in this lineup. Citrus, dried pear, flowers and mint are all given an extra kick of energy from intensely saline notes that underpin the fruit. Although not super-complex, the 2016 is beautifully persistent and nuanced, which makes it one of the hidden gems in this range.