96 Points The Wine Independent
The 2022 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel shimmies out with energetic notes of lemon tart, juicy grapefruit, and yuzu followed by hints of lime blossom and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate is vibrant and refreshing, with a crisp backbone and long minerally finish. This was picked on September 4, just before the heat.
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck
A bright straw yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel has a pretty and expressive nose of ripe pear, flinty lift, candied green apples, and lime. Savory and inviting, the palate offers medium to full body but has great persistence on its long finish. This wine provided a remarkable to start to my tasting of these wines from DuMOL.
95 Points James Suckling
A very tight and focused white with sliced apples, pears and some phenolics and botanicals. Medium- to full-bodied with tight and solid phenolic tension. Compact and fresh. Drink or hold.
94 Points Wine Spectator
There's a lovely note of grilled lemon and melon at the core that expands into flavors of pomelo, green apple, lemongrass and lemon basil, with a note of crunchy sea salt. Offers a firm, juicy and exuberant frame, with plenty of energy on the finish.
Winemaker Notes
This is our twentieth vintage bottling Heintz and one of the elite vintages for quality and character. We’ve crafted so many memorable wines from these magical vines since I first set foot in the vineyard way back in 1998. The wines are incredibly distinctive, unlike anything else in Sonoma or California as a whole, and that’s down to the special vineyard site itself. High elevation, close to the ocean, long lingering fog influence, late-season ripening, and precise farming combine to give the fruit striking intensity and style. Classic Heintz aromas that are simultaneously exotic and focused: ginger and honey; lemongrass and sweet mint; chamomile and sea spray. Intense lemon and lime oil dominate the flavors with green apples and taut minerals. The texture is deep and layered with tremendous volume and fruit extract. The wine’s vibrant acidity lifts this richness adding tension and freshness. Long echo of savory botanical intensity and lingering flinty edge.
