2017 Mayacamas Vineyards - Mt. Veeder Chardonnay (90 pts)

2017 Mayacamas Vineyards - Mt. Veeder Chardonnay (90 pts) @mayacamaswine · ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Chardonnay from the Mt. Veeder AVA in Napa Valley, California. Mayacamas Vineyards is one the original and historic mountain vineyard estates since 1889. The fruit is primarily from 40 year old dry farmed vines from 1800-2000 ft in elevation. The winemaking style has been the same since the 1950s. Hand harvested early to preserve acidity, then pressed whole cluster. Alcoholic fermentation was completed in a combination of large format puncheon, stainless steel, and oak barrels (only 5% new). Malolactic Fermentation was blocked. The wine was aged on the lees for 7 months, then 12 months in barrel, and a final 6 months in stainless steel before being bottled· 👁 Medium lemon color· 👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of green apple, asian pear, lemon zest, nectarine, daisies, dried flowers, baking soda, and salted nuts· 👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), and medium body. A medium+ length finish of green apple, nectarine, and salt· 🔔 Overall, this is a very well made wine, that is true to the Mayacamas Vineyards blocked MLF and no new oak style. This is a classic style of Napa Chardonnay that has faded over the years except for a few hold outs like Mayacamas, Stony Hill, and Chateau Montelena. 2017 was a hot year and the fruit is maybe a tad riper than I have come to expect from Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay. This is evident by a fuller palate, not quite the typical racy acidity, and a bit higher ABV. All of that said this wine really speaks to the vintage and is beautifully made. Luckily, the grapes were harvested before the fires in 2017, but sadly one of the historic wood structures used as the tasting room burnt down.