Paul Hobbs Ellen Lane RRV Chardonnay 2016

"The 2016 Chardonnay Ellen Lane Estate will give a Grand Cru Chablis a run for its money. Coming from a south-facing amphitheater consisting of rocky, broken soils, and aged in 56% new French oak, it offers more oyster shell, lemon curd, salinity, and seabreeze-like characteristics as well as a fresh, incredibly elegant, medium to full-bodied style on the palate. This chiseled, exotic Chardonnay is going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age and cruise for a decade or more. It’s world-class. These latest releases from Paul Hobbs are pretty much sensational across the board and Hobbs’ finds a rare mix of purity and elegance matched to richness and concentration that hits all my sweet spots. Hobbs commented that 2016 was a perfect vintage where everything came together easily, and the resulting wines have a terrific sense of elegance, purity an balance that make them already irresistible, yet will also allow them to age gracefully." 97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck