Belle Glos Glasir Holt Chardonnay 2023

Drink it now or cellar for up to 8 years. No need to decant but best to open it half an hour before service. Founded in the early 2000s by Joe Wagner, Belle Glos is a prestigious California winery that is now part of the Copper Cane Wines & Provisions group. The winery, named in honor of Joe's grandmother, focuses on single-vineyard wines and is particularly renowned for its exquisite Pinot Noirs. The Chardonnay grapes come from the Glasir Holt vineyard, located on the western edge of the appellation, a cool site originally intended for Pinot Noir, where Joe Wagner had the idea of ​​planting Chardonnay to exploit the potential of the calcareous soil. After harvesting and a gentle whole-bunch pressing, the wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in a mix of cement and oak. The finished wine then ages for 12 months before bottling. In the glass, the wine reveals a golden yellow color and a delicate and elegant aromatic profile with notes of ripe pear, stone fruit, and melon, followed by hints of tropical flowers, lemon curd, and toasted hazelnuts. On the palate, it is rounded, full-bodied, and generous, lively and fresh, with a bright minerality. It displays all the richness and power of Chardonnay, perfectly balanced by a crisp acidity. It is excellent with mac & cheese, risotto with Taleggio cheese and pears, or creamy lemon chicken.