Based on 55% Pinot Gris, 40% Pinot Blanc, and 5% Aligote, the 2018 Hildegard Estate White Blend comes mostly from the Bien Nacido Vineyard and was barrel fermented and aged 18 months in 66% new French oak. It offers a Burgundian bouquet of spiced orchard fruits, brioche, honeysuckle, and spicy oak to go with a beautifully textured, medium-bodied, elegant style on the palate. It shows a touch of nuttiness with time in the glass and has bright yet integrated acidity as well as a great finish. I always love this wine, and the 2018 is no exception.

The white Burgundian blend is a lost, or perhaps never found, art in the New World, but Jim Clendenen's blend of 55% Pinot Gris, 40% Pinot Blanc and 5% Aligoté always makes one wonder why. Aromas of freshly squeezed lemon, honeysuckle, grapefruit peel, Asian pear and light pecan lead into a texturally taut palate that blends brisk citrus and warm, salty flavors seamlessly. (MK)