It’s my pleasure to highly recommend a first release wine from Minus Tide, a new player in California’s Mendocino County. Three friends that met at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (one of California’s “other” wine schools) are handling nearly every aspect of the business, from winemaking to sales to label artwork, and they are off to the races with this gorgeous Chardonnay. Elegant aromatics include pear, peach, apple, stony minerality and a dash of ocean spray. These all translate in linear fashion on the palate, with a solid core of acidity driving intensity and integration of flavors through a long finish. Neutral oak adds a lovely texture without interfering with the purity of the fruit. I could drink this all day long and never tire of it, and I’m excited to taste the rest of the lineup.
Minus Tide, Mendocino Ridge (Mendocino County, California) Chardonnay 2017
By Rich Cook