One of my favorite flavor combinations, to the point of potentially over-using it in my cooking and irritating my wife with my lack of variety, is fennel, apple, and citrus. Imagine, then, my unmitigated glee upon tasting this zippy Chardonnay from Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon at Walter Scott. They source their fruit from the organic, dry-farmed Sojeau Vineyard, on the steep southeastern side of the Eola-Amity Hills. Those welcome notes of fennel frond, granny smith apples, and citrus zest are front and center on the palate, and are matched by driving acidity, gravelly minerality, and a sophisticated balance of weight and liveliness.
