2012 Estate Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
Crisp apple and pear, lime oil, accents of almond paste and savory-saline spice. Focused moderate-plus acidity, light chalk and lots of length. A sense of flesh, with accents of spice brought from oak ageing. Well executed. (ECB)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2012 Chardonnay Estate Peay Vineyards is an attractive wine, but it is also a touch lean, especially for the vintage. Hints of butter, pastry, apricot jam, licorice and French oak open up gradually, but the Estate remains tight, especially on the mid-palate and finish. It will be interesting to see if the 2012 blossoms a bit in bottle, or if it remains tightly wound, as it is today.
Bright yellow. Deeper-pitched and more expansive than the Sonoma Coast bottling, displaying scents of ripe orchard fruits, iodine, green almond and jasmine. Fleshy, smoke-accented pear and ginger flavors are braced by juicy acidity and a dusty mineral quality. Finishes smooth and long, with repeating smokiness and a touch of dried fig.
About the producer
Peay Vineyards is a small, family-owned estate winery on the rugged West Sonoma Coast in California, crafting elegant, site-driven Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, and other varietals from organically farmed grapes grown just miles from the Pacific Ocean.