A CLASSIC California Chardonnay, seamless and packed with goodness from start to finish. A bit golden, a nose churning with tropical and earthy fruit nuances and showing definite signs of age here at merely 4. I’m not going to go down the *premox* road here, but the polish this wine shows hints at a *settling down* into almond-paste and–albeit gritty–decadence surprises this reviewer–considering the source. Oh don’t get me wrong: there’s a shock of acid and even tannin belieing any assumptions of short-lividness, but some of the essences seem a bit progressed.
On the palate, the acid hits acrid points throughout, squashing any thoughts of dilapidation and age-worthiness. Green-bitter melds with buttery richness in a yin-yang seesaw exposing outliers at each range. Chalky and dry, the beauty of pure chard berry transferring through at each point of consideration. It’s not an easy wine to criticize, but it’s a painless wine to love. I guess what I’m trying to say is: blind, I would put this bottle at a few more years than the label decrees. The finish though. The finish glorifies the perfection in Chardonnay and why we love this variety–depite its wide range of styles across several continents. It’s not Chablis… I mean, we’ve been through this before. It’s straight-up California Chardonnay: there’s no denying the elegance and extravagance concentrated within. Spring Mountain strikes again.
2019 SMITH-MADRONE Chardonnay Spring Mt District Napa Valley 14.6
Stephen McConnell 