Antonio Galloni

"The 2014 Chardonnay is brilliant. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, almonds and smoke are all beautifully delineated in this transparent, super-finessed Chardonnay built on total finesse. The decision to pick a touch earlier plus the blocked malo style result in a focused, energetic Chardonnay that hits all the right notes. Every time I go to Mayacamas there is something new to see. The redevelopment of this historic estate proceeds at what looks like a very rapid pace, even if it will be many years before the results of the work being done today shows up in the wines. Mayacamas is most known for their epic Cabernet Sauvignons, but this year I was equally impressed with the whites, and I say that as someone who has never found the same level of excitement in those wines as I have in the reds. The new team headed by viticulturist Phil Coturri and winemaker Andy Erickson is doing important work in redeveloping the vineyard while keeping the healthier existing vines in production for as long as possible. Many of the improvements are noticeable in the whites already, where the wines tend to be more transparent and susceptible to less than ideal practices." —Antonio Galloni