2014 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper give the 2014 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard a distinctive upper register that balances the richness of the fruit nicely. The new French oak is a bit dominant at this stage. Otherwise, this is a pretty and nuanced Chardonnay from Paul Hobbs.
Critic scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Wow – I just love the intense nose of grapefruit essence and mandarin peels on 2014 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard with underlying yuzu, baker’s yeast and toasted almond hints. Full-bodied and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it explodes with citrus intensity, plus it has a seamless backbone of acidity to inject vitality and wonderful length. Just gorgeous.
The two 2014 cuvées from the Richard Dinner Vineyard are both full-throttle Chardonnays, with the Cuvée Agustina just bigger, denser, richer and, to my taste, even superior to the 2013 version. Both should drink well for 7-10 years.
The 2014 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard is quite rich and ample on the palate, as it so often is. Ripe orchard fruit, dried flowers, mint and honey fill out the wine's broad frame nicely. This is an especially big vintage for the Richard Dinner. At the same time, I suspect the 2014 will perk up a bit after the final SO2 additions, as it is just a little bit flat today.
About the producer
Paul Hobbs is one of California wine’s biggest names. Twice named Wine Personality of the Year by Robert Parker, he joined Robert Mondavi in 1977, worked at Opus One and Simi before setting up his eponymous winery in 1991.