Winemaker Notes
On the nose, beautiful notes of brioche and lemon tart with touches of vanilla bean and apricot. On the palate, beautiful, fresh fruit evolves into a mineral mid-palate with notes of jasmine, peach, and apricot lingering on top of bright flavors of grapefruit and Meyer lemon.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Reduced and minerally aromas of struck match, lemon pith and grapefruit. The palate is medium-bodied with vivid acidity, giving flavors of kaffir limes, orange blossoms, hazelnuts and baking spices. Well balanced and fresh, with underlying power. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Force & Grace's 2023 Chardonnay blends fruit from Napa and Sonoma Carneros; 80% was barrel fermented and aged, while the balance was made and aged in stainless steel. Attractive scents of pencil shavings, citrus and pineapple mark the nose, joined by hints of pear and white peach. It's medium to full-bodied, plump, generous, open and easy to drink, with just a hint of movie popcorn on the finish.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.