Lea "Mormann Vineyard" Chardonnay 2014
(Santa Rita Hills, California) - [WA 90]

The goal with the Lea Chardonnay is to make a wine that shows hints of the buttery notes of our French oak barrels without overwhelming the crispness and beautiful fruit of the Mormann vineyard located in the prestigious Sta. Rita Hills appellation. So far our solution, vintage after vintage, has been to age the wine in neutral oak barrels (2 years old and older) rather than new ones. The resulting wine shows nice but subtle notes of vanilla and butter along with a pronounced brightness, freshness and crisp minerality as well as a lush mouthfeel and long finish. Look for notes of white peaches, lemony citrus, pear, and nectarines. Enjoy this wine now or age it over the next five years.
90 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2013 Vintage):
"A beautiful Chardonnay, the 2013 Chardonnay Mormann Vineyard comes from the cool Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Possessing a Chablis-like flinty minerality, it has exotic tropical fruits, apple blossom and hints of green herbs to go with a medium-bodied, rich and textured feel on the palate. It should be consumed over the coming year or two.

Made by Jennifer Lea Tensley, these are first-rate Pinot Noirs (and a Chardonnay) that have singular, individual characters. They don’t skimp on fruit or texture, yet they also have plenty of earthy, savory characteristics to go with that core of sweet fruit that California provides. In addition, they represent superb values!" - Jeb Dunnuck (Aug 2014)