Chehalem 2022 INOX Chardonnay

90 points - Wine EnthusiastNOTES FROM WINEMAKER, KATIE SANTORAThe aromatics are clean and pretty with lovely aspects of Asian pear, yellow apple, and mango, all lifted by notes of fresh-squeezed lemonade. There is juiciness and weight on the front palate, while flavors of ripe stone fruit and lemon meringue come forward as the wine evolves. It finishes with a delicate balance between sweet and tart flavor dimensions and a subtle richness in texture. VINTAGE OVERVIEWThe 2022 growing season was full of surprises, which pushed them to explore new regions that delivered delicious, age-worthy wines with balance and vibrancy. The vintage kicked off with a cold and wet spring that turned worrisome when an unusually late-season freeze event impacted lower-elevation Chardonnay plantings throughout the region that were already experiencing bud break. Fortunately, they leveraged decades of winemaking experience and relationships throughout the Pacific Northwest to find a quality fruit source in t