Peay, Chardonnay Estate, Sonoma Coast

Out of Magnum, and very tasty.

2017 vintage

Pineapple, pear, lemon zest, delicious minerality and a light touch of oak. Delicious... Cheers!

2017 vintage

I brought this to a dinner, slow O'd for an hour. Probably served around 60° (guess). Outstanding Chardonnay. Our host (who generally avoids white and dislikes oaky Chards (Peay is not among them) loved it. This is wonderfully layered and delicious.

2017 vintage

Popped and poured; followed over a few hours with various foods: cheeses; pizza slices, grilled chicken, all of which it complemented admirably. An outstanding Chardonnay; drink or hold.

2016 vintage

My drink windows for California wines is now getting well defined. Peak makes some very good wines at very reasonable prices as compared to some other California producers. This chardonnay is an example, All of the flavors and aromas are still the same except that the maximum hold (lay down period) is 10 years....the best drink window is 5 - 8 years. This wine was still good but was beginning to reach the end of the perfect drink window.

2017 vintage

As others stated it seems to be softening up

2016 vintage

Nice condition, just showing early signs of gold coloration, still to the bright coloration of early on. Flavors are getting more rounded and developed. This wine has moved on from its youthful exuberance. Pleasant and easy drinking a good wine with richer fruit notes and solid balance.

2016 vintage

In my last note I state floral aromas....think honeysuckle. The other statements still apply along with this wine has another 2-3 years in the bottle as the flavors have NOT started to fade. However, this wine is in a great place now so why not enjoy?

2016 vintage

Honey, fresh figs, bosc pears, green apple, dried apricot, and lemon curd. Burnt orange peel and flint on the finish. So much honey—this is really nice. This wine delivers with the classic Sonoma Coast (i.e. Heintz and Hirsch vineyards) flavors and opulence, though I’d like just a little more mineral punch. I think it was in a good spot in its development. I’m worried that further ageing would lead to overly ripe fruit for my taste. I liked it best …

2016 vintage

The soil at the Peay vineyard yields some very nice Sonoma chardonnay. The minerality of the soil give this wine a nice lemon/vanilla/chalk tasting with floral aromas. The reason for the Sonoma comment is don't compare to a Napa chardonnay, each one has it's place.

2016 vintage

See previous notes. Please agree that Peay makes some really enjoyable wines?

2017 vintage

PnP. Light gold. Lovely nose of sweet orchard fruit. Quite forward and excellent drinking now. Acidity a bit low so I don't think this will last a long time but why wait!

2017 vintage

PnP a 375mL. Tasted best at slightly colder than room temp. White stone fruits with a good dose of cask influence. A little menthol and just enough acidity provides a refreshing lift to the intense flavors. Drank with a grilled bronzino, and worked great.

2016 vintage

Almost exactly two years since my last bottle, and time has been kind. Melon, pineapple and spice aromatics transition into an integrated palate that has both energy and grace. There’s a subtle creaminess on the finish that also contains some electric acidity. The contrasts are exciting, and keep me coming back for yet another sip. Compelling stuff.

2016 vintage

This was very Chablis style in texture with bright lemons, yellow apple, crushed stone texture, this was light and nimble with bright yellow fruit, refreshing acidity, a saline textured mid-palate with a medium finish. 92+

2017 vintage

Burgundian (almost) CA chard completely consistent with all their top chards over the years. This bottle completes the vertical I bought from 2012-2017, and it was by far the best. Balanced, stone fruit, terrific acid level and long finish. Will.buy.more. Drink now.

2017 vintage

Drink now or within one year! This wine is at a great place now.

2017 vintage

Delicious. Hint of pommelo. Best served chilled, as it is a bit tart at room temp. Paired with oven-baked rainbow trout; 92.

2016 vintage

Not a detailed note, but looking at my previous rating I wanted to put some sort of stake in the ground. I love Peay wines and I think this is a solid 93.

2017 vintage

Great straw color, nice aroma, very good. I like these Peay estate chards. They have a fantastic look in the glass and a solid balance in the mouth, not too oaky/buttery but not so fruit forward to drink like a SB. Only drawback is the price. At $60+ its a stretch.

2017 vintage

PnP. Might have been an off bottle but I don’t think so. Pleasant but straightforward lemon/bergamot flavors. Some reduction (matchstick) present on the nose. Finish slightly marred by a little awkward bitterness. Not bad but not really that exciting to me. Score: 87. Relative to expectations: -

2016 vintage

Balanced though luscious, and complex and delicious. Clearly from its place: not Burgundy, more like Willamette Valley Chardonnay than stereotypical California Chardonnay, fine wine with a long finish. Cool climate New World Chardonnay that’s been made well.

2016 vintage

Smooth, good wine. It hints at a Burgundy and comparably speaking, its cheap. Its a fine expression of a white from the Peay estate and gives you what you would hope for from that property. Its actually one of my favorite Chardonnays due to all of this. However, At about $60, you can get good white wines for a lot less and really my favorite white from the Peay estate is the Rousanne/Marsanne, now known as the Vin Blanc. Albeit …

2017 vintage

Peay...yea! They always produce very good wines at very reasonable prices. You cannot go wrong with this wine, but another couple or more years would enhance this vintage...I just couldn't wait (but I have more).

2017 vintage

PnP. Really lovely wine with superb fruit acid balance; not alot of tropical character but more citrus and orchard fruit. Nice mouth feel. Not sure this will get better but it is a lovely drink at age 3.

2017 vintage

PnP. Medium light gold. Lovely nose of orchard fruits, little or no citrus or tropical notes. Clean and crisp on the palate without being intense. Lovely representation of SC Chardonnay. And much better than the last bottle!

2016 vintage

Purity and depth of fruits, with a touch of pineapple, spice, minerality and stone fruits, supported by good acidity and excellent balance. This is a delicious Chardonnay with many excellent qualities.

2016 vintage

Hair raising aromas creamy mineral slightly honeyed pear spicy. Deep penetration of rich taut fruit with a nice winding of filigreed acid and a sweet citrus rind bitterness.

2017 vintage

Aroma: honeysuckle, lime zest, slate, seaweed Pal: almond pit, green apple, flint, orange. Distinct saline note. Moderate acidity. Moderate oak. Complex and balanced.

2017 vintage

Immediately fragrant upon opening at cellar temp, with citrus, pineapple and spice notes. Flavors were dominated by spice for the first thirty minutes or so, with the fruit coming back full force after that. Finish showed a crisp, mineral snap, with the citrus kicking in, and the spice lingering. Overall a very enjoyable bottle, though I would prefer the spice element dialed back a bit.

2016 vintage

Minimal fragrance but balanced and generous with refreshing stone fruit, mineral, saline and flint. Flashes a hint of toast oak on the long satisfying finish that reprises the mid-palate flavors. Well done. Drink or hold

2017 vintage

Appearance: medium gold Nose: medium intensity; aromas of peach, dried apricot, cooked pear, exotic snake fruit, chamomile, almond, toast, white blossom, banana, dough, mineral/flinty. It's developing. Palate: dry, medium plus acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, pronounced flavour intensity, flavours very much align with nose and very well defined. Dried/preserved apricot stands out with a hint of marzipan at the end of the finish. The finish is long. Overall, it's an outstanding wine. Can drink now, and has potential for further …

2017 vintage

Nearly flawless. Minerality, acidity, and oak in perfect balance.

2017 vintage

PnP. Medium light gold. Intense herbal and fruit nose with more mineral and spice than fruit. Medium body with good phenolic intensity some oak apparent and a moderate finish. This seems awkward to me at this stage.

2016 vintage

Excellent. Typical profile of past bottles and vintages. Has a gorgeous gold color. More toward a Burgundy style than say a Sonoma style.

2017 vintage

corked

2016 vintage

Tasting with Andy Peay (Washington, DC) : Wonderful stuff. A pure base of lemon curd and pineapple, crisp acidity frames the wine wonderfully. Mineral, chalk, raw almond, acacia flowers. Showing some baby fat I think, but there's a lot to unpack here with more time.

2016 vintage

Aromas of candied pineapple, acacia blossoms, and white pepper. Rich and round on the palate with a warm spread of fruit and a sparkling acid frame, sweet fruit lift at the back with a short flourish of acid on the finish. Delicious. 50 + 17 + 17 + 8 = 92.

2016 vintage

The nose was rich with sweet yellow florals, hints of vanilla, crushed stone, and lemon curd. It was round and velvety on the palate, showing ripe apple, pear, hints of lime, sweet herbs, and zesty acidity which added vibrancy. The finish was long yet clean with lasting minerality and lingering spice.

2016 vintage

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Peay, Chardonnay Estate, Sonoma Coast

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