"...Freestone's estate Chardonnay is a rich, powerful wine along the lines of Burgundy's Corton-Charlemagne.  The richness is balanced by riveting acidity, which is uncommon in a California Chardonnay.  Aromas of ripe pear and tangerine dominate against back notes of citrus and wet stone.  This is a truly monumental California chard..." (Robert Whitley)

. . . a stellar accomplishment. [This wine] has succeeded in being deep and layered without resorting to high ripeness, and possesses the enlivening acidity that has become part and parcel of the new Chardonnay paradigm in California. [It] comes with a slight haze in its appearance and, like the best efforts of that genre, its fruit is sweet and pulpy, deep and vital all at the same time. Long, fruity, tart and promising to gain greater range over time, this wine is about as good as it gets and joins a very select list of our favorite wines.

Inviting aromas of wet stone and lemon.  Golden apple and citrus, with very firm structure, mouth-watering acidity and a glint of minerality.  Fabulous concentration and balance, and while enjoyable now, it has a long future ahead of it.  (Linda Murphy)

Sleek and spicy with a mix of tangerine, citrus and orange zest that’s intense, vibrant, complex and earthy. Full- bodied, offering floral scents and a hint of mineral. Drink now through 2016. 1,300 cases made. – J.L

2007 Freestone, Sonoma Coast. Medium-light to medium golden yellow; attractive, intense, complex, buttery, tangerine and baked apple aroma with notes of hazelnut, honeysuckle, and minerals; full body; rich, plush, citrus and baked apple flavors with a touch of butterscotch; crisp acidity on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Shows outstanding fruit though tends to a more austere style. Very highly recommended. 

Good full red.  Pungent herbs and spices lift blackberry and violet aromas.  Juicy, ripe and spicy, with noteworthy energy to the red berry flavors.  Nicely combines sweetness and grip, finishing long and bright, with suave tannins. Visit website.

2007 Freestone, Sonoma Coast. Medium ruby color; attractive, intense, spicy, cranberry, raspberry, and bright cherry fruit aroma that developed depth and complexity as it opened with airing in the glass; medium-full to full body; forward, rich, textured, cedary, spicy, black cherry fruit flavors; well balanced and firmly structured; medium to medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Shows distinctive varietal character. Very highly recommended. 

Tightly wound, firm and concentrated, with a laser beam of citrus-infused green apple, lemon drop and melon notes. Full-bodied, gaining complexity and finishing with a vibrant finish. – J.L.

Good full yellow with a golden tinge. Smoky, musky aromas of pineapple, nectarine and minerals. Dense and thick but with a firm edge of acidity framing the flavors of peach, nectarine, pineapple and spices. Fruit-driven and quite fresh, and long on the aftertaste. As recently as 2004, this wine was produced from Napa and Carneros fruit, but it's now from Phelps's Freestone property and local growers in the Sonoma Coast appellation. Visit website.

2007 Ovation, Sonoma Coast. Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, intense, citrus and green apple aroma with hints of hazelnut and honey; medium-full to full body; crisp, spicy, lemony, green apple and stone fruit flavors with mineral notes; well balanced and tightly structured; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended.  

Complex, with notes of spicy pear, melon, toast and herbs.  Good length.

Offers a complex, tangy mix of lemon-lime, citrus and green apple flavors that are full-bodied and intense, yet elegant, ending with a cleansing finish.  Drink now through 2016.  --J.L.

Good bright yellow. Sexy aromas of lemon drop, stone and tropical fruits, and butterscotch, with a hint of resiny oak. Dense and sweet, with a juicy spine of acidity giving shape to the nectarine and mineral flavors. A fruit-driven wine that finishes classically dry and rocky. (The flagship 2007 Freestone chardonnay, which was scheduled to have been bottled in April, looks to be the best yet under this label.) Visit website.

2007 Fogdog, Sonoma Coast. Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, nutty, melon and apricot aroma with mineral notes and a hint of lime zest; medium-full to full body; melon and stone fruit flavors; crisp acidity on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Highly recommended. 

Offers a vivid array of blackberry, raspberry and black cherry fruit that's intense, ripe and rich without being heavy. Full-bodied, but light and delicate, gaining finesse and ending with a long finish of berry fruit. Drink now through 2016. 2,700 cases made. - J.L.

Good deep red-ruby. Pure aromas of cherry, raspberry and flowers; seemed to grow riper with air. Juicy, pure and focused, with modest flesh but very good intensity and perfume to its red fruit, floral and crushed rock flavors. Firmly structured pinot with a perfumed aftertaste. My early look at three 2007s to be bottled under the flagship label, including two new vineyard-designated selections (one of them vinified with 100% whole clusters), suggests that the outstanding 2006 Freestone pinot was no fluke. Visit website.
 

2007 Fogdog, Sonoma Coast. Medium-light to medium ruby; attractive, forward, intense, fragrant, plummy, spicy, slightly candied, complex, sweet cherry fruit aroma with hints of cola and vanilla; medium-full body; tight, herbal, spicy, cherry fruit flavors; medium to medium-full tannin; slightly tart on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Highly recommended.

...Freestone's Pastorale Vineyard Chardonnay could well be the finest Chardonnay every produced in California.  I would compare it to the greatest Meursault I've ever tasted, with no equivocations.  This is not your typical California fruit bomb.  The flinty, wet-stone minerality is as big a piece of the puzzle as the intense aromas of lemon creme and baked brioche.  It has richness and power supported by fresh, mouth-watering acidity...There are but a handful of California Chardonnay producers who play in this league, and I daresay no one today is performing at a higher level.  (Robert Whitley)

It will not surprise you to learn that we have enjoyed this wine with great gusto as well.  If anything, it is a bit deeper and richer than its mate [2007 Freestone Chardonnay], and...is also a very superb bottling by any standard.  It is balanced, layered, complex and amazingly inviting.

Constantly changing aromatic profile in the glass showing lemon curd, butterscotch and buttered popcorn.  Discreet richness and body with bright mineral-driven lemon flavor underlain with light caramel and roasted nuts.  Delicately viscous with an appealing persistence of citrus on the clean finish...This Chardonnay will match up with any comparably priced top white Burgundy.  Very good (+).

Pale yellow-gold. Exotic fruits, butterscotch and coconut on the very ripe nose. Then firmer in the mouth than the nose suggests, with solid citric grip and a rather powerful spine of acidity. Impressive concentration and weight here, and very long on the aftertaste. I'd give this a couple years in the cellar before pulling the cork. Winemaker Theresa Heredia told me this chardonnay is picked at 21.5 to 23 degrees Brix "with ripe flavors," and that the lower sugar level produces a fresher, more citrusy wine, as opposed to a buttery, creamy one. She added that the '08 and '06 versions are not as dense as this 2007. Visit website.
 

2007 Freestone “Pastorale Vineyard,” Sonoma Coast. Medium-light to medium golden yellow; attractive, intense, stylish, complex, buttery, apricot and spiced apple aroma with notes of minerals, lemon zest, caramel, and roasted hazelnut; full body; rich, textured, toasty, rather tight, baked apple flavors with a hint of lemon curd; firmly structured with crisp acidity and tending to be slightly austere on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended. Only available to wine club members.

Christmas spice, earth, cola, graphite and dark red fruit.  Full and deep, yet beautifully balanced and nervy.  Built for the long haul.  (Linda Murphy is Decanter's U.S. West Coast correspondent.)

Very complex array of aromas including black cherries, blackberries, forest floor, flower garden and spice.  The savory core of earth-dusted and spiced dark fruits is unctuous and thoroughly satisfying.  Framed by supple dry tannins, the fruit lingers long and lush on the finish.  Beautifully crafted and harmonious in every way. Exceptional.

The 2007 Pinot Noir Freestone Vineyard Pastorale exhibits sweet sassafras/cola, plum, black cherry, spice and earth characteristics.  Consume it over the next 7-8 years.

The 2007 barrel samples were single vineyard Pinot Noirs.  The '07 Freestone Pastorale Vineyard is a knockout, intense and concentrated.  (Ed McCarthy)

Good full red. Musky raspberry, minerals and milk chocolate on the nose, with spicy/herbal evidence of stems. Deep and sweet but a bit youthfully tight, conveying an impression of power and minerality. There's a distinctly wild aspect to the red berry flavors. Tannins are firm but in harmony with the wine's fruit. This serious pinot needs time. My sample remained fresh and gained in texture with 48 hours in the recorked bottle. Visit website.

The nose is flat out unbelievable showing crushed red cherries and berries with intoxicating exotic spices.  Can you make a perfume out of this?  Spicy and tenacious berry fruit core with ripe tannins and perfectly balanced acidity.  Delicate, yet packed with charismatic fruit flavor.  Ends in a lingering peacock finish that is orgasmic.  One of the greatest California Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted.  Exceptional.

Displaying a dark ruby color to the rim, the wine exhibits ripe and spicy black and red fruit flavors with notes of black tea and pepper.  Overall it appears somewhat more complex than the Pastorale.  Like the Pastorale...it reveals a lovely soft texture with excellent overall balance and structure and a long finish.

Another lovely effort is the 2007 Pinot Noir Freestone Vineyard Quarter Moon.  Notes of raspberries, black cherries, underbrush, forest floor and spice are found in this wine along with excellent density, medium to full body and excellent acidity as well as equilibrium.  It should easily last for a decade.

Full red, not as bright as the Sonoma Coast bottling. Pungent nose combines cherry, dark berries, violet, cola and a whiff of gingerbread. Suave, silky and light on its feet, but with a creamy richness to the flavors of black raspberry, brown spices, licorice, fresh herbs and flowers. Finishes with suave tannins and a captivating note of candied flowers. Visit website.
 

For $75 you should expect an extraordinary wine. You wouldn’t be disappointed. The ‘06 Freestone is everything California Chardonnay could and should be if it were always planted in the right place, with the right clones, and a minimalist philosophy that emphasized the purity of exceptional fruit from outstanding terroir. Well, a boy can dream! The Freestone is a textbook in restraint, delicate and vibrant, with notes of lemon custard, brioche, a scintillating minerality and barely obvious oak. Remarkably, it is not texturally austere, offering an oily palate despite firm acidity and a crisp, long finish. Very impressive.  (Robert Whitley)

Joseph Phelps, of Napa Valley fame, has been working this cool-climate vineyard for years. Now it’s paying off, in this acidic Chardonnay with a tang of the sea. Rich in Meyer lemon, lime, guava and spice flavors, its coating of smoky oak adds exotic levels of buttered toast and crème brûlée. Fascinating and tremendous. — S.H.

Possesses zesty acidity along with notions of orange and lemon blossoms, a steely texture, and a subtle note of wood. It is medium to full-bodied with outstanding freshness, and a very good finish.

Pale gold. Aromas of pineapple, nectarine and butterscotch, lifted by a whiff of lemon drop. Dense and firm-edged, with a distinctly saline quality adding interest to the nectarine and mineral flavors. Racy ripe acidity really carries the fruit on the firm, uncompromisingly dry back end. Serious Chardonnay in the making, with little in the way of easy tropical fruits, and an alcohol level under 14%. Visit website.

Great Eight of 2008
Freestone Vineyards – What a welcome addition to the landscape of California wine. Freestone is owned by the Joseph Phelps family of the Napa Valley and specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. The wines are all about purity of expression and terroir, but more than that they hark to a style of winemaking that prizes balance and elegance over sheer power. The 2006 Chardonnay is simply stunning. Only a handful of California producers – Kistler, Sonoma Cutrer, Nickel & Nickel, Patz & Hall – play in this league. (Robert Whitley)

Pale straw-yellow. Aromas of peach pit and skin, with musky suggestions of quinine and brown spices. Juicy and quite firm in the mouth, with somewhat tart acidity keeping the stone fruit flavors under wraps. Offers very good intensity, but the lingering finish seems quite ungiving today. 

A very fine, ageable Pinot that shows a feral, exotic quality that is rare, but always welcome. Grown on the true, cool coastal strip of the appellation, it's dry and crisp in citrusy acids, with intricate flavors of wild cherries, balsam, maple syrup, teriyaki-grilled beef, licorice, cola and Asian spices. such is the tannic structure that it should evolve over the next 8-10 years.

Only the second release from this relatively new property owned by the renowned Joseph Phelps family of the Napa Valley, the ‘06 is a revelation of sorts. This is a refined, spicy Pinot that exhibits the structure and minerality, as well as the silky tannin, of a premier or grand cru Burgundy . . . The stated alcohol of 14% is modest by current standards, and the elegance and finesse are evidence of this delicacy of body. Yet the fruit is vibrant, almost explosive, with a purity that is searing. (Robert Whitley)

Good fresh dark red. Captivating aromas of strawberry, raspberry, flowers, incense, mocha and loam, with some Burgundian funk and blood orange emerging as the wine opens in the glass. Quite supple, even creamy, in the middle palate, with musky red berry, earth and spice flavors nicely framed by harmonious acidity. As round and seamless as this is in the middle, and as silky and lush as it is on the aftertaste, there's no shortage of structure. Some whole-cluster and whole-berry fermentation has contributed both an intriguing floral/spicy quality and a creamy sweetness. I've been following this venture since the Phelps family purchased this cool-climate Sonoma Coast property in 1999, and this second release of the estate's flagship pinot is a knockout. Visit website.

A moderately high-toned nose of red pinot fruit, violet, menthol and spice hints introduces delicious, intense, round and sappy medium-bodied flavors that possess good depth and length. This is a generous yet stylish effort that offers good depth and about the only nit is a trace of backend warmth. Adding to the appeal is that with 20 to 30 minutes of air, this can be enjoyed now though it clearly has the stuffing to improve over the next 4 to 7 years (2013+).

Firm and intense. Spicy wild berry, loamy earth, dusty herb, sage and mineral notes fan out nicely, gaining depth and dimension on the long, complex finish. Drink now through 2012. – J.L.

Made from both Dijon and Old California Heritage clones. Aromas of underbrush, red currants, and spice are followed by a wine with more texture and flavor than the 2005.

Very lovely and pure aromatics featuring dark red berries and stone fruits infused with herbs, and subtle oak toast and spice. A charming and demure wine on the palate that is silky and supple with understated but satisfying red and black fruit flavors complemented by deft use of oak progressing to a persistent and memorable finish of spiced fruit and orange peel. The wine’s balance is impeccable portending a long life ahead.

Good fresh dark red. Captivating aromas of strawberry, raspberry, flowers, incense, mocha and loam, with some Burgundian funk and blood orange emerging as the wine opens in the glass. Quite supple, even creamy, in the middle palate, with musky red berry, earth and spice flavors nicely framed by harmonious acidity. As round and seamless as this is in the middle, and as silky and lush as it is on the aftertaste, there's no shortage of structure. Some whole-cluster and whole-berry fermentation has contributed both an intriguing floral/spicy quality and a creamy sweetness. I've been following this venture since the Phelps family purchased this cool-climate Sonoma Coast property in 1999, and this second release of the estate's flagship pinot is a knockout.