2016 Legacy (Stonestreet) Alexander Valley Chardonnay

The 2016 Chardonnay is bright, focused and energetic, with tons of citrus peel, white flower and crushed rock character. This is an especially fine, chiseled wine from Legacy, and also a more than worthy follow up to the 2015 and 2014.

I've long thought that there was something especially fascinating about aged white wines. Sure, aged reds get most of the attention, but when a white wine ages beautifully, adding complexity and depth while retaining its vital vibrancy and focus, I find it truly compelling. That is exactly how I felt when I recently tasted these stunning bottles of Chardonnay from Legacy. To be honest with you I was shocked at how fresh and youthful the wines were. The 2016 could easily trick you into thinking it was a 2021 vintage wine. The complexity wines gain from aging are only just starting to emerge here adding subtle nuance to the stunning purity of fruit and racy minerality the wine possesses in spades. Baked golden orchard fruit, toasted barley grains, crush rock minerals, salted lemon, wet river stone, freshly baked wholegrain bread, hints of quality, spicy oak are beautifully integrated. The initial attack of the wine is youthful and primary, but in the finish you can just start to pick up on some savory, yeasty, nutty development hints, but at this point the wine is most definitely still in its ascendancy. A beautiful wine with undeniable pedigree that's entering its prime drinking window with another 5-8+ years of aging potential and probably more. Incredible wine that will continue to improve for several more years and probably drink well beyond 2030.