2013 Edict Wines Chardonnay Nicol Ranch Wild Horse Valley Napa Valley is sold out.

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2013 Edict Wines Chardonnay Nicol Ranch Wild Horse Valley Napa Valley 750 ml

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  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

“As good as mineral California Chardonnay gets at $14/bottle”

There are less than 100 acres under vine in Wild Horse Valley, and unfortunately, given the extraordinary potential for top-notch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, barely another acre left to plant. There are only a few vineyards and even fewer tiny wineries. Even if it’s just 15 minutes east of Napa — all of six miles as the crow flies — the Chardonnay coming out of Wild Horse Valley is in increasingly high demand, though you almost never see WHV on a front label.

Who is on the short list of those buying up every small-berry, golden cluster? Warren Winiarski at Stag’s Leap, Newton, Edict, Jayson Pahlmeyer, and Michel Rolland and Jean Hoefliger at Alpha Omega … and more recently, David Abreu and super-consultant Heidi Barrett.

The terrain here is rugged and mountainous, quite unusual for coastal Chardonnay production. Planted at elevations that range from 1,000-1,800 feet on shallow, extremely rocky soils, yields are small. Summertime diurnal-temperature swings flirt with 40 degrees, causing some to call Wild Horse Valley “Napa’s Anderson Valley.”

Besides Kenzo Estate, which is farmed by the brilliant Abreu, the most sought-after Chardonnay in WHV comes off the breathtaking Nicol Ranch vineyard. Bob Nicol planted this manicured parcel at 1,400 feet in elevation. Down below is Suisun Bay. In the distance, you’re eye-to-eye with the often-snowcapped Sierras.

The summer of 2013 was dry and mild. Still, daytime highs at Nicol Ranch vineyard topped 90 degrees, even as the mercury plummeted overnight into the high 40s. It would be the combination of that extreme temperature swing, the unusually arid conditions, and the cool maritime breezes off the Pacific that brought Nicol’s Chardonnay to superb phenolic ripeness. Both sugars and acids were sky-high at harvest in the last week of September.

This is a beauty … and an absolute STEAL! Charles Bartlett’s 2013 Edict Chardonnay, drawn from Nicol Ranch vineyard fruit in Wild Horse Valley is magnificent. Pale green-gold in hue. Vibrant, wonderfully pure aromas of pear, apple, and white peach. Luscious flavors of orchard fruit, pear, and citronelle, brightened by notes of lemon peel and chalk. Bone-dry and beautifully focused, touched with new wood, finishing with excellent persistence and penetration.

$34 on release. As good as MINERAL California Chardonnay ever gets for $14 this morning — ONLY on WineAccess. Shipping included on 6.