Jayson Chardonnay 2020 by Pahlmeyer

Pahlmeyer was founded in 1986, by a desire to be great by its eponymous creator Jayson Pahlmeyer. With a dream to create a California Mouton, Jayson and his partners spared no resource to make this dream a reality. Whether it was finding the perfect piece of land high atop Napa Valleys Atlas Peak or covertly smuggling in Bordeaux cuttings, all pieces of Pahlmeyers history have led to its place as one of the top brand names from Napa Valley.

Jayson Chardonnay is layered and dynamic: The mountain fruit of our Pahlmeyer vineyards contributes intensity and crisp acidity, while our lower-elevation blocks offer freshness, tropical notes, and lovely aromatic lift. We hand-harvested each vineyard at optimal ripeness, picking in the predawn hours. Each whole cluster was meticulously hand sorted at the winery before pressing. The wine was gently whole-cluster pressed, naturally settled, and barrel fermented. It was racked from barrel for blending, then aged as a blend for 8 months before racking for bottling.

93 Points – Wine Spectator

Nuanced, on a supple, creamy frame, with honeyed details of peach pastry, orange blossoms, salted butterscotch, toasted brioche and toasted herbs and spices. Strikes an appealing balance between richness and a crisp, fresh acidity that keeps the flavors in focus.

92 Points – James Suckling

Aromas of matchstick, hay, grapefruit and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied with nice concentration and depth. Steady, with toasted complexity.

92 Points – Wine Enthusiast

Rich butter, almond and pastry flavors drench this full-bodied wine in an almost-sweet array of fruits, nuts and baking spices on a fat, luxurious body and soft acidity. It is super smooth and unctuous to sip.