While the Cabernet Sauvignon-based "Insignia" blend by Joseph Phelps has always garnered much of the limelight (and for good reason), Joe Phelps has had a lifelong love affair with the wines of Burgundy and a desire to craft wines in that style. Delicious Chardonnay was made using fruit from Napa Valley, but Joe continued to search for the ideal spot to grow Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir, like in Burgundy. His search ended when the perfect combination of climate, soil and location was found in Freestone, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, a mere six miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, Phelps began developing 100 acres of vineyards just outside of Freestone and today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay produce remarkable estate-grown wines bearing the Joseph Phelps name!
Due to its high demand from the mailing list, Pastorale is a Chardonnay designation that Freestone rarely sells to retailers and only the more elevated shops receive it. Thankfully, we have been given a small allocation for this vintage! This Chardonnay truly is a thing of beauty and is fashioned in the Burgundian Meursault style.
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The 2019 Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard explodes with perfume: white peaches, dried flowers, spring honey and exotic herbal notes that, combined with a whiff of graphite-like minerality, gives this wine a unique personality. The palate is wonderful, full and satiny and loaded with perfumed fruits, and it finishes with appealing juiciness and loads of flavor. It's incredibly gregarious for its age and can be enjoyed straight from bottle."
JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "I continue to love the Sonoma releases from this iconic Napa producer. Starting with the 2019 Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard, its light gold hue is followed by a vibrant bouquet of pineapple and subtle tropical fruits that are balanced by classy oak, spice, and honeyed flower aromas and flavors. Juicy, medium-bodied, and lively on the palate, with impeccable balance, it will shine for 4-5 years, if not longer."
Due to its high demand from the mailing list, Pastorale is a Chardonnay designation that Freestone rarely sells to retailers and only the more elevated shops receive it. Thankfully, we have been given a small allocation for this vintage! This Chardonnay truly is a thing of beauty and is fashioned in the Burgundian Meursault style.
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The 2019 Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard explodes with perfume: white peaches, dried flowers, spring honey and exotic herbal notes that, combined with a whiff of graphite-like minerality, gives this wine a unique personality. The palate is wonderful, full and satiny and loaded with perfumed fruits, and it finishes with appealing juiciness and loads of flavor. It's incredibly gregarious for its age and can be enjoyed straight from bottle."
JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "I continue to love the Sonoma releases from this iconic Napa producer. Starting with the 2019 Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard, its light gold hue is followed by a vibrant bouquet of pineapple and subtle tropical fruits that are balanced by classy oak, spice, and honeyed flower aromas and flavors. Juicy, medium-bodied, and lively on the palate, with impeccable balance, it will shine for 4-5 years, if not longer."
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