The Old Soul Chardonnay 2013 is sourced from Oak Ridge Winery estate vineyards located in the Lodi AVA of northern California. Oak Ridge is the oldest winery in Lodi (founded in the 1930s) and is currently owned by the Maggio and Reynolds families who have 5 generations of vineyard and wine making experience. Lodi is about 70 miles east of the San Francisco Bay and south and east of Napa Valley. The climate is similar to the grape growing regions of the Mediterranean, warm during the day, but Pacific Ocean winds cool the nights and mornings. This Chardonnay is aged in a mix of stainless steel vats along with American and French oak. That gives the Chardonnay a stew of fresh fruit and citrus flavors along with oak influence. The alcohol content is 13%.
The color is a bright, shiny, almost clear wheat yellow. The nose is not shy, pineapple,apple, pear, peaches and cream, lime and grapefruit. This is a smooth, medium bodied, dry Chardonnay, with a nicely complex array of flavors. It starts with apple and melon, grapefruit and pineapple and peach and Anjou pear. The mid-palate brings a light hit of butter and creamy lemon. The acidity is firm, but balanced, the Old Soul will work well as a food wine. The finish starts off tart then turns smooth and creamy.
Lodi has always been a great place to find a big and beautiful Zinfandel, I never really looked there for Chardonnay, but the Old Soul Chardonnay is delicious. Ripe, rich fruit and citrus, with solid acidity and excellent length. This is one of those wines that even a novice can tell is a first-rate bottle. The interesting mix of flavors and the bright acidity will have you reaching for another sip. This bottle of Old Soul Chardonnay is going to empty far sooner than planned. So prepare accordingly.
