2021 Winemaker's Select Chardonnay
Tasting notes
Flambéed pineapple, wet stones, custard apple, honeycomb, butterscotch, and white flowers. Swirling brings ripe stone fruits, citrus rind, roasted marshmallows, nutmeg, and oak spice. The mouthfeel is broad, with remarkable structure and a phenomenal acid presentation. Ripe stone fruits dominate the mid-palate, but there are lots of citrus and spice components that remain towards the end of the wine. Extremely complex and layered and with a balanced oak profile, this beautiful Chardonnay finishes long, with the perfect amount of sweetness and lingering acidity. Enjoy now or in the next 20 years.Decanting is recommended.
Whole cluster pressed and barrel fermented. Full malolactic fermentation. Aged in new French oak for 22 months. Unfined.
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Appellation | Royal Slope |
| Vineyard | Conner Lee La Reyna Blanca Solaksen |
| Designation | Lawrence Vineyards |
| Alcohol | 14.60% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 238 |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | Washington |
94 pts - Jeremy Young Int'l Wine Report
92 pts - Sean Sullivan
94 pts - Owen Bargreen: "This was stored in all new French oak before bottling and comes from the Solaksen, Connor Lee and La Reyna Vineyards. The wine saw extensive barrel age and lees stirring before bottling. Toasty oak and marshmellow aromatics combine with rich honeydew melon and roasted pineapple on the nose. The palate is round and generous with serious weight, texture and bright underlying acidity. Flat out fabulous stuff to consume now, enjoy over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032."
Gård Vintners is 100% estate grown sustainably at Lawrence Vineyards in the Royal Slope AVA. Lawrence Vineyards features seven distinct vineyard sites with elevations ranging 930 feet to 1,675 feet. The combination of elevation and south-facing slope provides a great framework for grape production, while the diversity of the seven locations delivers a high level of complexity to Gård wines. Lawrence Vineyards is certified sustainable by Vinewise.org.
MATÍAS KÚSULAS
Winemaker & Viticulturist
A Chilean with Greek roots, Matías was a Marine officer and Naval Engineer in Chile for more than seven years when he realized that it was time to change the course of his career: In 2005, he started studying Agricultural Engineering at the University of Chile, where he graduated with distinction and a major in Viticulture and Enology. He worked in Chile for a few years and in 2011 he decided to start traveling the world on a quest to learn new wine-making techniques. After several harvests in Oceania, Europe and Africa, he settled down in France, to do his post degrees at the Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier. He also performed for two years as a Maître de Chai for one of the oldest and most reputable wineries in Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
After years of traveling and over 15 harvests, he came to the United States and joined Gård Vintners/Lawrence Vineyards as a Production Winemaker and Viticulturist, and is currently head winemaker for Gård Vintners, Desert Wind Winery, Valo Cellars, and his own label, Massalto. In his spare time he likes to jump out of planes and is a Judo Black Belt.
