2010 Wind Gap Chardonnay James Berry Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Light, hazy yellow. Orange zest and lemongrass on the pungent, spice-accented nose. Sweet and silky in texture, offering vibrant citrus and orchard fruit flavors given depth by notes of iodine and toasty lees. Closes bright and nervy, with excellent focus and lingering mineral tones.
Critic scores
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2010 Chardonnay James Berry Vineyard is all slate, crushed rocks, lemon and minerals emerging from this energetic, focused Chardonnay. The full malolactic fermentation gives the 2010 an attractive richness but without robbing the wine of the distinctive minerality that is the signature of this great site in Paso Robles.
The 2010 Chardonnay James Berry Vineyard is all slate, crushed rocks, lemon and minerals emerging from this energetic, focused Chardonnay. The full malolactic fermentation gives the 2010 an attractive richness but without robbing the wine of the distinctive minerality that is the signature of this great site in Paso Robles. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. I was deeply impressed with many of the wines I tasted from Wind Gap and proprietors Pax and Pamela Mahle. The estate favors cooler, marginal sites. The wines are made with a very natural approach, which is to say the grapes are crushed by foot, aging is largely done in neutral oak and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Best of all, many of these wines sell for very reasonable prices. Readers should note that Mahle’s Agharta line-up is reviewed separately. Pax Mahle told me he plans to re-launch his Pax label in the near future. Tel. (707) 887-9100; www.windgapwines.com