It may seem curious that JL Wood produces a Chardonnay labeled No Oak. After all, the winery’s 2021 Nouveau did not touch a barrel. Neither did its newly released 2023 JL Wood. And the 2022 Premier was quickly pulled from oak before the wine developed more than a rich, tropical essence.
All are Chardonnays, with grapes from Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco AVA, the location of the family’s ranch. Winemaker Ed Filice produces several different expressions of the varietal. The depth gained from oak is evident on the nose of the Premier. You bask in aromas of mango and pineapple, yet on the palate it remains lean and brisk.
If there is an impression that runs through each wine, it’s a simplicity found in sustainable farming practices and a willingness to let the terroir speak through the wine. In JL Wood form, the Chardonnay offers fresh citrus and apple, with a hint of minerality. The Nouveau – an older vintage – brightens the palate with ripe pineapple and lemon, but there is a balancing herbal trace. Meanwhile, the 2021 No Oak brings fruit in its sharpest form.
But Filice and proprietor Carol Wood Morrison – the label is named for her father, who tended the vineyards, selling the grapes to others – are aware of California’s history of oaked Chardonnays. And the 2023 Classic is an homage, with a creaminess that blankets the palate with plush vanilla, mellow toast and a stoney minerality under the cavorting tropical fruits.
JL Wood is a label with a zest for Chardonnay.
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