County Chardonnay 2023, Trail Estate Winery

Description from the Producer

GOLD — 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards 95 PTS — Decanter Magazine 94 PTS — John Szabo “ A chardonnay with that lovely simmering reduction that brings flint and stones and wet concrete to the fore and sends citrus (pith and peel) scampering away. Trail Estate really shines in the chardonnay category, at least for those for whom the place is more important than the grape — this is decidedly PEC, uncompromisingly stony. Fruit is a distant cousin. If petrichor could be rendered into wine, I suspect it would taste very much like this. Don’t expect easy pleasure, but expect a wild ride through place and time. Best from now to the mid-thirties. Great stuff. Tasted February 2026. 93 PTS — Rick VanSickle “Trail Estate’s Chardos always bring a certain joie de vivre vibe to the table whenever I open a bottle. The nose has a lovely saline fresh and stony minerality as the opening note with Bosc pear, apples, lemon zest and subtle spice notes that follow. It’s crisp and vibrant on the palate with a flinty/reductive entry followed by bergamot, orchard fruits, spice and a long, lifted finish. Can cellar through 2030. 92 PTS — David Lawrason “This is a firm, serious chardonnay wild fermented, aged in older barrels and bottled without filtration. It shows fairly deep lemon colour. The nose is generous and complex with considerable toasty, leesy character, a hint of butter and ripe yellow apple. Comes together well on the palate, with richness yet a firm mineral line. Rather leesy/toasty on the finish, with excellent length. Tasted Feb 2026 92 PTS — Sara D’Amato “A wild ferment Chardonnay, unfined and unfiltered, that perfectly embodies Prince Edward County’s leaner, stoney style. The wine features a lively buoyancy with notable intensity of flavours. Lofty minerality is present on the palate, cleanly made with sleek acidity and very good length. Lightly toasty with subtle spice that lingers on the finish. Drink or hold until 2030. Only 130 cases produced. Tasted February 2026. Hand Harvested from the Trail Estate Vineyard and pressed whole cluster to stainless steel. Chilled, racked and put to barrel to ferment naturally. A blend of new french oak and neutral puncheons and barriques were used. Aged without stirring in barrel for 11 months. Racked twice prior to bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur. The 2023 growing season was an EPIC season! Filled with plenty of challenges in the summer — lots of rain, high humidity and lots of heat. In September, the season flipped on its head and we were given the most beautiful ripening season. Grapes showed amazing concentration of flavour and great retention of acidity. An integrated nose with layers of flinty minerality and citrus. Slight nuances of oak with crushed oyster shells. A rich palate with a tart finish. VQA Prince Edward County VQA Cases Produced: 130 Grower: Trail Estate Winery Harvested: September 30, 2023 Yields: Approx. 1.5 Tonnes/Acre Brix: 21.3 RS: <3g/L Alcohol: 12.0%