The Peter Paul Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2018 straddles the style-line between crisp/refreshing and rich/round. The difference between this and most others in this Chardonnay middle ground is cohesion. What’s that mean? Often, crisp and rich don’t work together. You get a mouthful of tang then a wallop of rude oak flavor. Or the other way around: brown buttercream followed by a shriek of acidity. Not happening here.
What IS happening is a top-notch, cool Sonoma Coast Chardonnay vineyards lock arms with partial malolactic and aging in 20% new French oak (rest relatively neutral). I get a boatload of citrus, especially lemon zest, roast slivered almonds, warm bread crusts, Gravenstein apples (for sure…I have a tree) and some white peaches. Medium bodied, mouth-coating and impressively long with subtle flavors of the oak sticking around for 15-20 seconds. Food pairing possibilities are many – for some reason I have chicken piccata on the mind.
Peter Paul Wines is owned by entrepreneur/philanthropist Peter Paul. Martin Reyes, MW, oversees winemaking and manages sales and distribution. The winery has made solid wines since their beginning in the mid-2000s. That said, the quality and focus have skyrocketed since Martin Reyes came on board in 2016. Just under 2000 cases made, total, each vintage.
