Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant silver/yellow hue, the 2023 Chardonnay The Estate is fresh, pretty, and floral, with refined noes of flinty wet stones, fresh melon, citrus blossoms, lime zest, powder, and salted apples. The palate is electric and fantastic, with a hint of salty earth. Drink 2026-2040.
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James Suckling
Honeysuckle, green apple, lemongrass and seashell aromas. Medium- to full-bodied with flavors of sliced apples, pears and a hint of flint. A blend of three different Wente clones. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From grapes harvested on September 25 and October 16, the 2023 Chardonnay The Estate is gorgeous! “Typically, you don’t talk about structure in Chardonnay, but with Wayfarer you do,” says winemaker Todd Kohn. “You have structure and salinity, and they age just as well as the Pinot Noirs.” At this early stage, it demands vigorous aerating to reveal scents of quince, peach, poached pears, panna cotta and floral perfume on the nose. The full-bodied palate is expansive and perfumed with a luxurious, satiny texture. It’s balanced by vibrant, shimmery acidity and has a tremendously long finish. It evolves dramatically in the glass and will be very long lived in the cellar.
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Wine Spectator
Mouthwatering and intense, with lemon curd, mango and dried pineapple flavors that show vibrant acidity. Accents of lemon balm, Himalayan sea salt and lemon thyme, along with a fleshy texture, leave a powerful impression on the finish. Vanilla bean and grilled bread grace notes linger. Drink now through 2037.
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.
On the far western edge of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA hugs right up against the Pacific coast. Vineyards, planted at rugged elevations between 920 to 1,800 feet, occupy only two percent of the total land in the AVA. Fort Ross-Seaview growers believe that the region boasts an ideal mix of sunshine, cool air and beneficial stress for producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot noir.