2017 Chardonnay UV El Diablo Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Chardonnay UV - El Diablo Vineyard is slow to open aromatically at this stage, offering glimpses of citrus blossom, honeyed almonds, saline and orange peel with a core of quince, gaining intensity and nuance as it sits in the glass. It explodes in the mouth with savory, concentrated flavor layers, and it's medium-bodied, ultra silky and fresh with a very long, energetic finish. This has great potential to gain depth and nuance in bottle, so forget it in the cellar for a couple of years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A bigger, richer wine, the 2017 Chardonnay UV-El Diablo Vineyard comes from a great site in the Russian River. Aged a year in one-third new French oak, its medium golden hue is followed by a Meursault-like bouquet of buttered stone fruits, Meyer lemons, flower oil, crushed rock, and toasty oak. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has terrific acidity, flawless balance, and depth and richness to spare. It's a stunning bottle of Chardonnay that will benefit from a year in bottle and cruise for 7-8 years or more. With the wines made by Matt Courtney, this Russian River estate continues to make some of the best wines in the vintage.
The 2017 Chardonnay U.V. El Diablo Vineyard brings together all the best elements of the Arista house style. Rich, bold and luscious, with no hard edges, the 2017 is a real showstopper. Apricot, honeysuckle, orange confit, wildflower, butter, tropical fruit and honeyed notes all race across the palate in this deep, stunning and creamy Chardonnay.