2018 Faethm Fingers Crossed White

The 2018 Off the Record White is a blend of 72% Roussanne, 24% Chardonnay and 4% Viognier from the Cumulus Vineyard, Bien Nacido Vineyard and White Hawk Vineyard. It was barrel fermented and underwent full malolactic conversion. Matured for 21 months on its lees in 75% new French oak and 25% one- to two-year-old barrels, this unabashedly hedonic Chardonnay from husband-and-wife team Julia and Nik Krankl is partly inspired by their love for the styles of Marcassin and Peter Michael. It offers intense aromas of baked apples and quince, toast, candle smoke, dried tarragon and lemon peel, blossoming to savory, biscuity nuances as it unfolds in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is expansive and satiny, with a deep core of perfumed fruit. Inquiring about the wine's alluring texture, the Krankls note that their lees-stirring regimen helps create those savory flavors and seamless mouthfeel and assists in integrating its generous new oak. "The lees coat the inside of the barrel, and we use a lot of new oak on our whites," they explain. "That crust of lees somewhat buffers the charry quality of the oak, while pulling out its positive aspects." 100 cases were made, and this wine will be sold as five-bottle sets with one bottle of white wine, two bottles of Grenache and two bottles of Syrah ($559). It was bottled in July of 2020, and I tasted it on May 24, 2022.