WTN: A whelp from Phelps

[Jenise]

2012 Phelps chardonnay, Freestone Vineyard, Sonoma County
Bought this because I've always admired Phelps and have never seen a chard from them before and without realizing, until I opened it, that it wasn't a Napa-origins wine. Bright yellow color, immediately extracted on the palate with some elegant orchard flavors to follow and good balance between fruit and acidity. Improves considerably with air and the last glass was better than the first. But it never rises to the taunt of prestige implied by the name, and it's certainly not $15-$20 better than most of the $20 California chardonnays on the shelves around here.

2012 Phelps chardonnay, Firestone Vineyard, Sonoma
Bought this because I've always admired Phelps and have never seen a chard from them before and without realizing, until I opened it, that it wasn't a Napa-origins wine. Bright yellow color, immediately extracted on the palate with some elegant orchard flavors to follow and good balance between fruit and acidity. Improves considerably with air and the last glass was better than the first. But it never rises to the taunt of prestige implied by the name, and it's certainly not $15-$20 better than most of the $20 California chardonnays on the shelves around here.

Hmmm.....would that be FreestoneVnyd, rather than FirestoneVnyd??
Tom

[Jenise]

Tom, I am wondering that too. After posting here went to update Cellar Tracker and there they don't list Firestone, however they show Freestone as Carneros, not Sonoma, and I'm real REAL sure about Sonoma. Need to dig the bottle out to double-check.

[Jenise]

Dang, I need new glasses. Freestone it is, though in fairness the bottle does say Sonoma not Carneros (even if Carneros is in Sonoma County).

Dang, I need new glasses. Freestone it is, though in fairness the bottle does say Sonoma not Carneros (even if Carneros is in Sonoma County).

Awwww..Jenise. Freestone is a vnyd out above the town of Freestone and way far away from the Carneros. Quite a ways out on the SonomaCoast, maybe 5 miles from the Pacific. Should you ever find yourself in Freestone (and don't go wandering around the Carneros looking for it), they have a wonderful bakery (WildFlower Wood-Fired Bakery) and a great cheese shop (Freestone Artisan Cheese). But it's pretty much a one-horse town (Kansas colloquialism for a town w/ few people).

Now...do you feel sufficiently scolded, Jenise??
Tom

[Jenise]

Indeed I do! And much better informed. I had the wrong vineyard name but now who tells Cellar Tracker that they have the wrong AVA?

BTW, I love one-horse towns so appreciate that description. It's an area of California, in general, and California's wine regions, specifically, that I've wanted to spend some time in but haven't. Need to fire up the Fritzmobile and get on the road!

Tom's right. Freestone is even smaller than Occidental, which is just over the hill. I'm not sure whether it's in the Green Valley sub-AVA, but it's close to it. Lotta PN in Green Valley.

Jeez guys, Part of what is considered the Carneros region is in Napa. Just thought everyone would like to know.

[David M. Bueker]

Jenise - there is a CellarTracker forum for wine data errors. Put a post in there and it will get fixed (unless someone makes a compellingly funny argument for why it should remain wrong).

[Jenise]

Jeez guys, Part of what is considered the Carneros region is in Napa. Just thought everyone would like to know.

We're probably all aware of that. But the vineyard in question isn't there.

Jeez guys, Part of what is considered the Carneros region is in Napa. Just thought everyone would like to know.

And that's considered a positive, Lou???
Tom

Jeez guys, Part of what is considered the Carneros region is in Napa. Just thought everyone would like to know.

And that's considered a positive, Lou???
Tom

Tom with your fabulous well known eclectic palate I'm sure it's very positive.

Jeez guys, Part of what is considered the Carneros region is in Napa. Just thought everyone would like to know.

We're probably all aware of that. But the vineyard in question isn't there.

Jenise you're giving others credit for your knowledge of the our surrounding wine country, believe me many are lost when they leave highway 29. Which many of us natives are happy with because it allows us to use the Silverado Trail to get up and down the valley in the summer.