Sixto Frenchman Hills Chardonnay 2014
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from volcanic soils and a north facing slope at 1,750 in elevation, the 2014 Chardonnay Frenchman Hills Vineyard offers terrific minerality as well as a Chablis-like style in its lemon curd and floral aromatics, medium-bodied mouthfeel, and vibrant, crisp acidity.
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Wine Enthusiast
Of the vineyard designated wines, this one comes from the youngest vines, planted in 1998. The aromas of peach, pear, mineral, pineapple upside down cake and spice are subtle and refined. The palate is sleek yet silky and extremely flavorful, full of stone-fruit flavors that lead to a finish that won’t quit. It’s all about delicacy and restraint, hitting a lot of high notes. Editors' Choice
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Wine Spectator
Crisp, yet polished and supple, with expressive baked pear aromas and a hint of brioche that opens to crisp, elegantly layered tart apple and mineral flavors that linger. Drink now through 2021.
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One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.