2017 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Edward James Estate Wente Selection
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Chardonnay Edward James Estate is a powerful, deep wine with a strong backbone of structure to balance its more overt leanings. Candied orange peel, spice and honeyed notes infuse the Edward James with quite a bit of personality. Today, I find it a bit more reticent than it was from barrel, but it is persistent and packed with flavor.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
James Suckling
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The 2017 Chardonnay Edward James Estate comes from old Wente heritage selections from Hyde and Hudson, grown entirely in Goldridge soils. Youthfully reluctant, with coaxing it reveals notions of allspice, pie crust, quince paste and baked apples with brioche, warm peaches, bark, mushroom and a lemon peel spark. Medium to full-bodied, it's rounded and giving much more in the mouth at this stage, with intensely concentrated, spiced stone fruits and honeyed accents, finishing long and lifted with vibrant acidity. 622 cases were made.
The 2017 Chardonnay Edward James Estate is another Russian River release that has a vivid medium gold color as well as exotic notes of honeyed citrus, pineapple, white flowers, and some salty minerality. It's pure, medium to full-bodied, has a seamless texture, and a great finish. The oak is nicely integrated, and given the overall balance here, it's going to evolve nicely for 7-8 years at a minimum.
The 2017 Chardonnay Edward James Estate is soft, open-knit and creamy, with that extra bit of textural breadth that comes from these Goldridge soils. Apricot, lemon confit, wild flowers and lightly honeyed notes grace this soft-spoken, very pretty Chardonnay.
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.