DuMOL Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel Chardonnay 2018

“The 2018 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard captures all of the grandeur and exoticism that make the best wines from this site so incredibly compelling. Apricot, white flowers, white pepper and marzipan envelop the palate. As always, the Heintz Chardonnay is marked by a very distinctive feeling of oiliness. The 2018 is all class. Drinking window: 2021-2028. 95 points

My tastings at DuMOL are usually pretty epic, as I sample two vintages of pretty much the entire range. The pandemic made a visit this year impossible, so this report focuses on the bottled 2018s. The wines are brilliant across the board, just as they were from barrel. Winemaker Andy Smith describes 2018 as a year with moderate temperatures, especially at harvest time, which allowed for picking tiny sections of vineyards in small, separate passes. From top to bottom, this is an impressive lineup.”

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/21)