2012 Chardonnay Freestone Vineyards

These new and upcoming releases from Joseph Phelps's Sonoma Coast property are quite attractive. The 2012s have turned out nicely. I was quite surprised to see just how rich the 2012 Pinots are. In that sense, they are markedly different in style from the generally more perfumed, mid-weight Pinots that typically emerge from this part of the coast. The 2013s have a little more energy and delineation than the 2013s. Phelps opted to bottle the 2013s earlier than the 2012s, which meant I saw them just after bottling.

Two thousand eleven was the first time that the team here had to sort their Freestone chardonnay, owing to the cold, damp late-season weather, said director of winemaking Damian Parker. "And it's a good thing 2012 brought good conditions because we had full, tight clusters and rain would have been brutal." Parker rates 2009 and 2012 as the best recent vintages for pinot at Freestone and considers 2013 outstanding for chardonnay. The top 2011 cabernet-based wines here are not particularly fleshy by Napa Valley standards but offer noteworthy energy. Winemaker Ashley Hepworth compared the 2011 Insignia to the 2005 at the same stage, but noted that the 2005 was riper.

One again, I was deeply impressed with the Sonoma Coast wines I tasted from Joseph Phelps. The vineyards are divided into two major sections; Pastorale is planted to both Pinot and Chardonnay, while Quarter Moon is exclusively planted to Pinot. The wines labeled 'Freestone Vineyards' are the entry-level and are made from numerous parcels, while the Pastorale Chardonnay, Pastorale Pinot and Quarter Moon Pinot are made from a limited number of plots within those sites. In general, the wines spend about 13 months in oak. The Pinots are made with some whole clusters, which gives them lift, but the wines mostly impress for their overall balance. Each year, these wines are more and more intriguing. The 2012s are all gorgeous, while the 2011s all confirm my impressions from last year. Yields are much bigger in 2012, though, which will make the wines far easier to find.