Shale and Stone Chardonnay

Perhaps because the bar is so high for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, I don’t feel that it’s been disrespectful to argue that Frog’s Leap’s white wines are more impressive than its reds. And zealots who understandably believe picking time often separates the good from the great will be impressed by this wine resulting from 10 different pickings from the Truchard shale and sandstone hillside vineyard before briefly being fermented in oak before being switched to concrete. The wine is delicious – very elegant but rich in complexity though not in texture with mildly tart apple flavors, good minerality and a dollop of cream in the finish. 94 Roger Morris

Flavors of ripe apple, quince, lemon pith and wet stone are carried by bright acidity into a very long finish. The freshness and purity of this wine lean towards austerity but are balanced by bright flavor and a light spice accent for an energetic and restrained white wine.