As the days get shorter and the semester gets longer, I unfortunately have not had all the time in the world to taste the goodness of Washington vino. On one of my few free moments, I was able to step into a local shop and taste one of the most profound Chardonnays I have ever had. Not just Washington Chardonnays, but any, period.
The Chardonnay in question is from a storied producer, Woodhouse Family Cellars. Their Hudson Shah Chardonnay, which I picked up for around $36.00 from the Wine Seller in Williamsburg, VA, is bar none one of the best white wines I have ever tasted. The scariest thing about it is that I tasted it after it had been open for 8 days, and at that point it showed such deep complexity and terrior driven beauty, it floored me.
Color: After the extended time to oxidize, the color of this wine was just immense. Almost copper colored, the deepness of the orange and golden hues was just breathtaking. The only other place you will really see such a color are a few of the Friuli whites from Radikon and Gravener. Simply breathtaking.
Nose: If I was served this blind, I would say Batard Montrachet every time. This wine was just loaded with petrol, lemon peal, pear, walnuts, and butterscotch. The wine was so well integrated at this point that the nose just lulled you in. Even after extended oxidation, this wine was just unimaginably good.
Taste: There is no way that this wine tasted 8 days old. The immense beauty of the petrol driven butterscotch is just amazing. Along with the petrol and butterscotch, there was a good amount of pear, guava, and lemon peal to round out the start. The midpalate was great with butterscotch taking the fore paired up with petrol spritzed pear. The finish was just immaculate, a petrol laced guava that lasted a good two minutes.
Overall: For the most part, I honestly dislike most domestic Chards. This one has really changed my view on what this country can do with the Chardonnay grape. Simply one of the most profound wines I have ever had the ability to taste. 97+ Points
