Taste: With a beautiful nose of fresh-baked lemon meringue pie, Bosc pear, and sweet floral blossoms, this wine presents the superlative nose expected of top-end Napa Valley Chardonnay, not to mention Atlas Peak Chardonnay. Notes of lemon bars and apple tart dance across the mid-palate with a banana/butterscotch/toffee "thing" emerging to balance the crisp acidity. Finishes with lush, tropical fruit notes and a touch of lemon zest.
Cameron Confidential: From the folks that brought us Lot 116 Napa Valley Cabernet comes Lot 133. From a restaurant/high-end retail-only wine program producing $45 retail bottles, this little tyke had us waiting to release largely due to the fact that it's punched early with cold fermentation and ageing in 70% new French and American oak, requiring a certain period to self-integrate. As the time has come and the oak has settled, this beautiful Chard absolutely displays $45 acidity and beautiful integration.
At $14, sitting in the upper spectrum of our pricing, this is hands-down the best Chardonnay that we have ever produced. The slimming of the restaurant market allowed us to source only 258 cases of the 1,000-case production, so scoop up this wine now as it won't be around for very long.
Staff Picks
Lot 133
2008 Atlas Peak, Napa Valley Chardonnay
- Vintage: 2008
- Appellation: Atlas Peak
- Grape: Chardonnay
- Alcohol by volume: 14.9%
- Production: 261 cases
- Release date: October 22, 2009
- Drink/Hold: Now and through 2015
- Online availability: Sold out
