Winemaker Notes
The 2023 Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay offers subtle aromas of white flowers, citrus oil, subtle reduction and apricot. The elegant aromatics are complemented by fresh nectarine, lemon drop and grilled pineapple flavors. The fruit focused mid-palate is followed by subtle mineral notes and a hint of crystallized ginger in the finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This plush, full-bodied wine shows ripe lemons, golden apples, yellow peaches and green mangoes with creme brulee and pleasant crushed-almond flavors. The finish carries baking spices and creaminess.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another appellation wine, the 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is a bright golden yellow color and offers notes of poached yellow apples, toasted spice, almond, chamomile, and lemon curd. The palate is full-bodied and elegant, as is characteristic of this vintage, and has an even and floating feel on the finish. It’s ripe and has a more pithy texture, but it’s well-detailed and more immediate. Well-suited for restaurants.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is composed of fruit from Hartford Court's estate vineyards plus purchased fruit. Barrel-fermented and matured for eight months in 21% new oak, it has soaring scents of yellow peach, grapefruit, panna cotta, orange blossoms and honey. The full-bodied palate balances concentrated citrus and saline flavors with vibrant acidity, and it has a long, energetic finish.
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Wine Spectator
A vibrant white, with a tight and juicy mix of lime sherbet, pear and lemon flavors, plus notes of ginger and lemongrass, all on a sleek, mouthwatering frame. Lemon sorbet, lemon verbena and crunchy star fruit flavors sing 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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.