Description
The 2019 Paul Hobbs, Cuvée Louisa Goldrock Estate Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast is a refined wine made from blocks 3 and 5 of Goldrock Estate. Hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts, it’s aged 15 months in French oak barrels (45% new). The wine opens with aromas of white tea, honeycomb, and crushed rock, followed by bright citrus and almond flavors, with a clean, crisp finish.
Producer Profile
An intense Sonoma Coast pinot, filled with notes of graphite and minerally slate, informing a subdued core of plum and blackberry. This pinot threads the needle just about perfectly, never becoming overly fruit-heavy — or really even fruit-focused at all — and avoiding the common, modern trap of falling into a beefy, umami-heavy funk. Ample acidity keeps the wine perked up and alive, touched just so with raspberry and cherry as it develops in glass. Best at cellar temperature but incredibly versatile — I enjoyed it greatly as an aperitif and just as much with a hearty Caribbean pork shoulder.