Haynes Chardonnay Vigneron Coombsville 2020 750ml

Vigneron = the farmer's expression of the whole estate.

100% Chardonnay (Wente Clone, planted 1992 — the youngest vines on the estate at 30 years old)

Winemaking: Whole bunch pressed, native yeast fermentation, aged sur lie in 500–2,000L neutral casks for 22 months, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Zero shortcuts.

Tasting Notes: Lime zest, cooked apple, crushed stone, and dried flowers on the nose. On the palate it's taut and racy — bright citrus, lemon curd, baking spices, green apple, pear, and apricot woven with parmesan rind. Precise acidity with a long, salty-sweet candied ginger finish. This is cool-climate Napa Chardonnay at its most precise.

Food Pairings: Butter-poached lobster, pan-seared halibut with lemon beurre blanc, truffle risotto, aged Gruyère, or raw oysters.

Critical Scores:

• 96 pts — James Suckling: "Lime, cooked apple, crushed stone and dried flowers. Full-bodied yet compacted with a linear and firm texture. Ripe yet so vivid."
• 94 pts — Decanter: "Fabulously taut and absolutely racy...Wow."
• 92 pts — Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "Rich and ample, with real phenolic intensity...apricot, lemon confit, tangerine peel."