Rodney Strong Vineyards, Chalk Hill – Sonoma County (California) Chardonnay 2021

 Despite perennial campaigns to promote other grape varieties, Chardonnay continues to thrive in the market.  Nothing, it seems, beats a big, buttery California Chardonnay.  The sensuous combination of ripe tropical fruit and toasty oak is palate-pleasing.  In 1965, Sonoma wine pioneer Rodney Strong planted Chardonnay vines in the volcanic ash soils of what is now the Chalk Hill AVA.  His foresight paid off and we offer the evidence of the 2021 Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay.  This wine stands above its price peers with a purity of fruit and depth of flavor that is consistently superior.  Layers of ripe apple and pineapple fruit are deftly balanced by vanilla and baking spice nuances from its barrel age. The texture is rich and there is a lift at the finish that makes the wine all the more appealing.