Pahlmeyer’s 2012 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast surprised me with the amount of oak that was showing. Normally, this winery has the Midas touch marrying oak with fruit, but this offering revealed slightly more butterscotch and vanillin than are usually found in young vintages. Once past that, the wine exhibits plenty of honeysuckle, ripe apricot and peach notes in a tropical, intense, exotic style. This somewhat eccentric, oaky Chardonnay should be consumed over the next 4-6 years. Completely sourced from the Ritchie Vineyard, the wine was aged in 85% new French oak for 11 months.