This wine is currently a deep daffodil color. Yellow plums, yellow apples, orange peels, toasted hazelnuts, vanilla bean and cinnamon cover the nose. The palate is round, bordering on lush, but the alcohol is decidedly medium. However, there’s clear tannin on the sides of the palate that, along with medium-plus acidity, frames the wine. The well-concentrated fruit leads to a medium-plus finish. This is a nice substitute for an oaked Chardonnay. Drink through 2014 this wine will benefit from aeration. Nota bene: the brazen aromas fade significantly on the second day.

— Published (2/25/2015)