More tart citrus, caramelized pineapple, white flowers, and Meyer lemon notes emerge from the 2018 Chardonnay Ellen Lane Estate, another flawlessly balanced Chardonnay from Hobbs. Medium to full-bodied, with terrific acidity yet also terrific concentration, it’s drinking spot on already, with the more flattering, charming style of the 2018 vintage, yet is going to evolve for 5-7 years with no problems.

The 2018 Chardonnay Ellen Lane Estate opens slowly to scents of toast, stone, cashew and white apricot with hints of pastry. The palate is elegant, with stony notions and toasty fruit layers enlivened by tangy acidity with a long, delicate finish.

Deep and youthful, yet already inviting and not at all held back in rich fruit and gorgeous creamy oak on the nose, Mr. Hobbs’s Ellen Lane Chardonnay verges on opulence without going to extremes. It is as exuberant as it is concentrated and far-ranging in character with a great sense of stamina and a terrifically sustained finish that refuses to quit, and the only problem it poses is that waiting for the three or four years needed for it to grow into its very considerable best is likely to test the will power of even the most patient collectors of top shelf Chardonnays.