2020 The Hilt Vanguard Chardonnay

Lemon cream, flaky pie crust, early season apricot and hint of lemon verbena. Key lime and an inner perfume (almost the ghost) of gardenia. Neroli oil. Silky beyond words and utterly seamless. Green olive oil nuances. This wine walks the ultimate balance between fruit density and electricity. Remains so light on its feet despite the weight and sunshine in the glass. Incredibly intensity to this vintage with a focus that is almost fierce today. The touch of roundness from new French oak and the elegance from the portion of malolactic fermentation takes the tense edge off before the wine accelerates to a thrilling crescendo. The essence of tasting a chardonnay berry from the 2020 growing season. This wine no doubt deserves a place next to the finest Vanguards to date. - Matt Dees, Winemaker

95 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous | 96 Points Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com