2022 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay, Chanin

A tense, cerebral Chardonnay, with captivating white flower, pepper, herbal, citrus and salty aromas. Yields became so minuscule in Bien Nacido that Gavin took the difficult decision to grub it up following the 2023 vintage, so this is the penultimate wine from vines planted in 1973. The 2022 needs a few years in bottle to relax but has tremendous potential. There’s no hint here of the growing season’s warm finale.