2018 Walter Scott - Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard
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Tasting notes
2018 was a warm, dry vintage that resulted in particularly concentrated, structured and age-worthy wines. The 2018 Freedom Hill Chardonnay was closed and delicate when I tasted it in the fall of 2020 and has blossomed dramatically. It begins with candle smoke and matchstick aromas and requires plenty of air to reveal white peach, meringue, hazelnut and acacia. The palate is open and generous, offering Goldilocks ripeness and layered peach, apricot and savory flavors. Its shimmery acidity is balanced by a luxuriously satiny texture that coats the mouth and extends the finish. Detailed and pure, it will reward drinkers with the patience to let it gather some dust in the cellar.
Critic scores
Average Score
Josh Raynolds
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Vivid straw-yellow. Incisive, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruits on the assertively perfumed nose, along with hints of succulent flowers, oyster shell and buttered toast. Lush and creamy but focused as well, offering concentrated, mineral-driven pear, Meyer lemon and peach melba flavors and a touch of bitter quinine. Turns firmer on the sharply detailed, impressively long finish, which repeats the citrus and mineral notes and leaves a honeysuckle flourish behind. 40% new oak.