2022Solaksen Chardonnay
2022Solaksen Chardonnay
The 2022 Single Barrel Solaksen Chardonnay is a single vineyard wine from the Royal Slope AVA.
The winemaking team worked with our vineyard manager to restrict yields, creating concentrated, expressive berries. Canopy management and irrigation strategies were implemented to highlight the unique aspects of the vintage. Flavor development and sugar accumulation occurred on a mirrored trajectory.
Harvest was in the early mornings of the first week of October. At the winery, the fruit was whole-cluster pressed directly to 100% new French oak.
Barrels of varying format were selected to create layers of complexity. Fermentation was done at a low temperature, lasting several months. Full malolactic fermentation added weight and texture. The wine was racked after one year and barrel aged for 18 months. The final blend was cold-stabilized in tank, and bottled un-fined and unfiltered, producing only 132 cases.
The resulting wine is 100% Chardonnay, Clones 15 and 76, planted in 2015.
This wine displays a radiant gold color. The nose offers concentrated stone fruit, candied lemon peel, spiced pear, hazelnut, and brioche. On the palate, a lean profile emerges, revealing stoney minerals, quince, grapefruit pith, and delicate spice. The mouthfeel is sleek and refreshing, with forward brightness and suggestions of building richness with bottle age. The clean and elegant finish presents peach blossom, toasted almond slivers, and ginger.
Awards & Accolades
"The 2022 Single Barrel Solaksen Chardonnay from Washington’s Royal Slope gleams a radiant pale gold, its color reflecting the precision and warmth of its élevage in new French oak. The bouquet opens with scents of ripe pear, grilled pineapple, and lemon custard layered with hazelnut, almond cream, and a faint trace of vanilla bean. On the palate, the wine flows with generous texture and striking balance, where baked apple and citrus oil mingle with hints of toasted cedar and crushed seashell. The interplay of richness and energy gives it both sophistication and lift, carrying through to a lengthy, polished finish that leaves impressions of Meyer lemon peel and spiced marzipan."
95 points, Jeremy Young, International Wine Report
"2022 Single Barrel ‘Solaksen Vineyard’ Chardonnay stands golden in the glass, offering a smooth mouthfeel with terrific viscosity and good verve. Rich melon and citrus fruits combine with nutty and pie crust notes. Drink 2025-2032."
94 points, Owen Bargreen, owenbargreen.com
"The 2022 Chardonnay Solaksen is decidedly spicy in the glass, mixing nuances of fermented ginger with enriching notes of almond paste and dried apricots. It is silky smooth with admirable weight and decadently ripe orchard fruits offset by a stern mineral core. The 2022 tapers off long and lightly structured, leaving a sour citrus tinge that cleans things up nicely."
93 points, Eric Guido, Vinous