Review: Chalk Hill Sonoma Coast Wines – 2021 Pinot Noir and 2022 Chardonnay
We always light up when new releases from Chalk Hill arrive. This pair is from the winery’s Sonoma Coast operations and both represent some of the bet value wines Chalk Hill sells.
2021 Chalk Hill Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – A rather workmanlike wine from Chalk Hill, this rather beefy offering has a certain Vienna Sausage vibe, subduing the cherry notes at its core and perking up notes of rhubarb and overripe raspberry. Tea leaf on the finish is a bit blunt. Give the wine a little time to settle down and thing coalesce a bit, though I would more foundationally suggest upgrading to one of Chalk Hill’s single vineyard releases. B / $22
2022 Chalk Hill Chardonnay Sonoma Coast – Bold with oak but just shy of hitting overblown in construction, this arrives on the palate as an otherwise approachable expression of Sonoma chardonnay, largely meeting expectations. Notes of baked apples and guava dominate, with sharp notes of lemon peel and some curd adding needed acidity. This is a solid food pairing option, a bitter edge on the finish giving the wine more abrasive grip than I’d like for solo sipping. B+ / $17
2022 Chalk Hill Chardonnay Sonoma Coas
$17
