1 Mill Road 2022 Chardonnay 750ml

I tasted this wine again last week, and it continues to impress for a first release from a 10.4 acre site on the East Kelowna Slopes. About a third of the vineyard was planted to clone 95 a decade ago, and according to winemaker Ben Bryant, the fruit quality is high. 2022 was a long, cool growing season, and it yielded a delicious, well balanced chardonnay long on flavour. I love the vibrancy and salty, citrus nuttiness with a ripe pear undercurrent. Fresh and lean with restraint and elegance, it is a solid addition to the 1 Mill lineup. It needs a subtle brush of complexity to hit its stride but that will no doubt arrive in future renditions. The handpicked fruit was pressed, and 85% was fermented in seasoned French oak puncheons, while the remainder was fermented in new French oak barriques. Post ferment, the wine aged in a barrel for 9 months before blending and bottling. Good value.

Score: 91 points -- Anthony Gismondi, Gismondi On Wine