Winemaker Notes
The 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay is a beautiful, generous expression of Napa Valley fruit at its freshest and finest. Overflowing with aromas of juicy pear and nectarines, the first sip is dominated by mouthwatering minerality, balanced by a delightful salinity, and accented by an intriguing touch of lime zest.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Precise aromas of lemon curd, flint, pastry and white flowers, The palate is medium-bodied with a creamy texture and focused acidity, giving notes of grapefruit, lime zest and orange blossoms. A nice balance between power and finesse.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The entirely barrel-fermented 2023 Chardonnay is produced mainly from purchased fruit, primarily from Carneros. Approximately 30% of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation; 11% of the barrels were new. Citrus, pear and pineapple lead the way on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is plump and custardy in feel, with notes of cinnamon and poached pear welling up on the finish.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is bright, focused and quite steely in this vintage. White pepper, mint, sage and crushed rocks meld into a core of vibrant citrus-driven fruit. This is an especially focused style for Pride, largely the result of the year.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Mulled apples, white flowers, brioche, and spice all emerge from the 2023 Chardonnay, a juicy, medium-bodied effort. It has good acidity and terrific overall balance.
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.