The Ernest Estate is anchored in the heart of the Freestone Valley, an area deeply defined by the extreme cold temperatures and blanketing fog from the chilly Pacific Ocean. The challenging growing conditions reward with wines of structure and restraint.Aromatically speaking this cool-climate Chardonnay is quite generous with very forward and varietally correct notes. The nose is first met with hints of citrus blossoms followed by aromas of apples and pears, oranges and candied almonds. The palate brings forth an abundance of mouth-watering flavors of juicy cara-cara oranges, plus succulent and ripe apples. There's still plenty of fresh citric acidity coating your mid palate and creating a refreshing tasting experience. The old dilemma with cool-climate wines continues: drink them or save them! This is a perfect example of that, it is an everyday drinking Chardonnay as much as it is a cellar-able bottling that for sure will develop nicely with some age.
