Apollo's Praise Riesling Noble Dry The Knoll Lahoma Vineyards

Oak treatment evident. Highly extracted for a Finger Lakes Chardonnay. ‘24 was a ripe vintage, but did they employ a Ripassa technique? This wine achieves what it wants to be, but I prefer less oak.

In a word: “stunning”.

Dark straw color Medium plus aromas of fresh and baked yellow apple with mild reductive flinty notes and moderate/ well balanced oak spice Medium bodied with palate of fresh ripe apple/ pear and vanilla notes Medium plus acidity and medium alcohol Moderate finish led by the fruit and acidity Well made and somewhat reticent Chardonnay - may improve in complexity with another 2-4 yrs of bottle age

Light greenish yellow color. Very thick legs. The nose consists of pineapple, lemon peel, ripe grated apple and starch syrup. The mouth is extremely dense - massive fruit confirming the nose is packed in thick jellyed texture. Acidity is high, slow-moving and having chewy bracing definition. Despite the level of concentration, the overall impression is very round and clean (almost Pinot-blanc-esque in that regard). Finishes fades seamlessly into cleanness, leaving leesy sweet umami. Unique and utterly delicious expression of Chardonnay. …

I really don’t ever drink Chardonnay but wanted to give this a shot. I want to like it but I’m always underwhelmed hence why I seldom drink it. This bottle was money however. No oak, butter, vanilla or cream. Slightly light mouthfeel but that’s okay. Pears and green apples. This is dangerous stuff. Impressive.

I criticized this on opening for lacking concentration and character but it intensified and grew more complex over time as it sat in the glass. Really showed me.

Deep Dive into Apollo's Praise (Kevin's, San Francisco CA) : The nose is fragrant and lovely with fresh tones of lemon peels, green apples, nectarines, pears, saline, kumqaut, apple blossoms, and some toast. There is some lovely lift to this while it feels like it is holding back a touch. The Medium bodied feel is refined and fresh with tart, medium+ acidity. This is pretty and refined with a good bit of freshness across the nose and palate. I can …

Deep Dive into Apollo's Praise (Kevin's, San Francisco CA) : The nose is lively and vibrant with fresh tones of peaches, lemon peels, orange blossoms, limes, nectarines, apricots, stone fruits, and some saline. This feels a touch wound up, yet the tones are balanced and working well together right now. The Light bodied feel is deft and refined with racy, high acidity that has some good cut. This will develop further with a few years of age. This is pristine …

1h decant. Pours pale straw without sediment. Nose of spiced pear, lightly toasted oak, mandarin orange, and cocoa butter. Enters with sparkling med- acid, bright apple and pear flavors. More oak dominant on the mid and finish with reasonably integrated flavors of caramel apple, orange water, and candy floss. Med+ body and finish. Great example of FLX Chardonnay. Drink now through 2029. Good QPR at $25 and a solid 4- or 6-bottle purchase. Very good to excellent 90.

Followed this wine for several days. Initially it actually seemed a bit low on acidity, which made little sense given the figures. Perhaps just an artifact of recent bottling, and a somewhat reductive closure, as the acids emerged after an hour or so. Pear and quince fruit and a Sweet-Tart astringency dominated at first, and I put the bottle aside to revisit. 24 hours later the wine was more relaxed, with the astringency reduced. Full Spätlese-level sweetness is properly balanced …

A very tightly wound wine with a lot of stuffing for the long term. Still accessible today, with loads of white fruit, peach, honeysuckle, ginger, petrol and a streak of fresh acidity that cuts through the spätlese-level RS. A joyful wine to drink that will only get better with time. In the short term, give it some air and it will show it's best.