2011 Diatom Chardonnay Kodo

At the outset, harmony is the name of the game in the 2011 Chardonnay Kodo. There is quite a bit of depth and intensity from the old vines and low yields that were the result of a spring frost. Ultimately, though, the wine's austere takes over the balance.

At the outset, harmony is the name of the game in the 2011 Chardonnay Kodo. There is quite a bit of depth and intensity from the old vines and low yields that were the result of a spring frost. Ultimately, though, the wine’s austerity takes over the balance. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015. I am a big fan of Greg Brewer and most of his wines, but I have to be honest that I don’t get what he is trying to accomplish with Diatom. Brewer says he is going for a pure, minimalist style that emphasizes the unique sites he works with, “like the perfect cut of toro tuna,” he adds. That may be the intention, and it certainly sounds good, but to me the work that is required in the cellar to get these wines into bottle by late March of the year following the harvest is all about intervention, and involves the use of commercial yeasts and sterile filtration, among other things, all of which permit an unusually short elevage. Some readers may find pleasure in the severe austerity of these wines, but I do not. To be fair, I have enjoyed the Diatom wines in the recent past, so perhaps it is just a question of a tough vintage. Tel. (805) 452-5609; www.diatomwines.com