Winemaker Notes
The 2023 Jayson Chardonnay strikes a beautiful balance of energy and richness. Aromas of Meyer lemon, ripe peach, crushed Marcona almond, and a touch of flint lift from the glass. Bright citrus on the palate opens to a mouth-filling surge of lemon curd, ripe stone fruit, and a touch of sweet oak. Vibrant acidity balances the plush texture beautifully, driving the flavors long through the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Very pretty aromatics of pineapple and Meyer lemon, with apricot lifting out of the glass. The palate is polished, with a lovely grip and tension framing buoyant fruit laced with gorgeous saline minerality. Finishes intensely with aromas of Marcona almonds, a touch of honey, and wildflowers. Grape sources include Antica, Stagecoach, Waters Ranch, Hyde Vineyard in Carneros, and Carpenter, a site in St. Helena. 100% barrel fermented with lees stirring, then aged in 60% new French oak.
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James Suckling
A deep, golden, rich wine that's bold in fruit and oak spice flavors on a full body, yet balanced by a toasty, almost peppery character and good acidity. There is freshness and a mineral touch along with the baked pear, butter and roasted vanilla flavors. Drink now or hold.
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Wine Spectator
An elegant style, with fennel, marzipan and tarragon up front, plus a core of ripe, salted melon, white peach and Bosc pear. There’s a toasty, spicy note of cardamom in the background, along with a touch of salted butter shortbread.
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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.