92 Points: Jim Gordon Wine Enthusiast - November 2023

“As inviting and buttery as a croissant, this soft and creamy wine is loaded with vanilla, fresh butter and baked apple flavors on a broad, melted texture, with just a hint of acidity for balance. Pour during cocktail hour for your Chardonnay-loving friends.”

92 Points: James Suckling JamesSuckling.com - November 2023

“Plenty of lush citrus aromas followed by golden apples, bitter nuts, and beeswax with saffron and saline undertones. Medium body with bright acidity. Zesty wine layered with savory spices and minerality. Drink or hold.”

90 Points: Audrey Frick JebDunnuck.com - July 2023

“A savory profile emerges in the 2021 Chardonnay Wildcat Mountain, revealing fresh aromas of sea spray, yellow flowers, and golden apple. This medium to full-bodied white offers a silky mouthfeel, with good freshness of acidity and notes of fresh pear, honeyed lemon, and almond. It’s a very attractive wine to drink over the next several years. Though The Key may be the most complete wine in the lineup, I prefer this style for more regular drinking.”

The 2021 vintage delivered a moderate and consistent growing season for most of Sonoma County, leading to a smooth, easily manageable harvest. While the continuation of drought conditions led to slightly reduced yields, the overall quality and concentration of the grapes was exceptional. Grapes were picked from two distinct blocks planted to two different clones: 76 and 95, on September 9 and 10, respectively in 2021.

The grapes for this Chardonnay came exclusively from Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, owned by Steve MacRostie and his partners, Nancy and Tony Lilly. At Wildcat, the vines dig into the sparse volcanic soil and stand firm against the strong winds that race in off of the Pacific Ocean most afternoons. This fog-shrouded mountaintop vineyard is a classic Sonoma Coast site. Cool and challenging, it yields wines of great distinction.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 13.9%
• cases made:

  799

• bottling date: 08/02/2022
• aging:

  Aged 12 months in French oak, 24% new, 24% once used

• fermentation:

  Whole cluster pressed, cold settled, then racked to barrel for cool fermentation.

The 2022 vintage was impacted by a third consecutive year of drought that resulted in up to a 10-30% reduction in yields. The growing season was temperate, which in grape growing means we were on track or ahead of normal growth. Then we saw some heat spikes that prompted our first picks. 2022 was a year for vintage-to-vintage variation and differentiation between vineyards. We harvested our Bacigalupi Chardonnay on August 25th, 2022.

Long famous as one of the key growers for the Chardonnay that won the famed 1976 Judgment of Paris Tasting, the Bacigalupi family are winegrowing icons in the Russian River Valley. This Chardonnay comes from a property that neighbors our MacRostie Estate House on Westside Road—the acclaimed Bacigalupi Frost Ranch.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.9%
• cases made:

  92 Cases

• bottling date: 02/20/2024
• aging:

  Aged on the lees for 18 months in 75% once-filled French oak barrels

• fermentation:

  Whole cluster pressed then cold settled for 48 hours, then racked into French oak for primary and malolactic fermentation

The 2022 vintage was impacted by a third consecutive year of drought that resulted in up to a 10-30% reduction in yields. The growing season was temperate, which in grape growing means we were on track or ahead of normal growth. Then we saw some heat spikes that prompted our first picks. 2022 was a year for vintage-to-vintage variation and differentiation between vineyards. The grapes from this vineyard were picked on August 25th, 2022.

This prized site in the Russian River Valley has been farmed for more than 40 years by renowned winegrower Kent Ritchie. The vineyard is planted to the Wente Selection of Chardonnay, which grows on gently rolling hillsides in sandy loam soils with striations of sandstone. The Russian River Valley’s famous clockwork fog keeps this site cool, providing ideal conditions for growing classically structured Chardonnays.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.6%
• cases made:

  71 cases

• bottling date: 02/20/2024
• aging:

  Aged on the lees for 18 months sur-lie in French oak; 100% once-filled.

• fermentation:

  Whole cluster pressed then racked to French oak for primary and malolactic fermentation.

92 Points: Tom Capo Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide - June/July 2024

“This lively Chardon­nay displays pithy tangerine and bright pear aromas on the nose. The palate shows vanilla and crème brûlée flavors from the barrel regimen, but juicy acidity drives the fruit forward towards a long and lemon-scented finish.”

The 2022 vintage was impacted by a third consecutive year of drought that resulted in up to a 10-30% reduction in yields. The growing season was temperate, which in grape growing means we were on track or ahead of normal growth. Then we saw some heat spikes that prompted our first picks. 2022 was a year for vintage-to-vintage variation and differentiation between vineyards. We harvested these grapes in the cool evening hours of September 14th, 2022 at 24.8º Brix.

Planted by the Pellegrini family in 1975, today, Olivet Lane is managed by the fourth generation of the family to be involved in winegrowing. The vineyard, which is named for the olive trees at the property entrance, is located in the Santa Rosa Plain neighborhood of the Russian River Valley, on an undulating benchland of well-drained, gravelly, clay loam soil. The foundation of this wine is the coveted Old Wente selection, a heritage clone that has played a key role in some of California’s greatest Chardonnays.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.5%
• cases made:

  95 Cases

• bottling date: 08/15/2023
• aging:

  Aged 10 months sur lie in French oak, 100% once-used.

• fermentation:

  Whole cluster pressed then cold settled, then racked into French oak for primary and malolactic fermentation.

92 Points: MaryAnn Worobiec Wine Spectator - April 2023

"Lovely flavors of vanilla, pear, grilled peach and honey mingle with graham cracker, lemon basil and orange blossom notes in this harmonious and fragrant version, which shows plenty of juicy acidity and a firm structure."

92 Points: Tom Capo Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide - June/July 2024

“The nose of this wine comes alive with a gentle swirl, slowly giving off aromas of fresh apple, pie crust and river rock. The palate shows a very gentle touch with the oak, feeling more fresh and lively than rich or weighty. There’s subtlety here that will pair nicely with oys­ters or other raw shellfish.”

The 2022 vintage was impacted by a third consecutive year of drought that resulted in up to a 10-30% reduction in yields. The growing season was temperate, which in grape growing means we were on track or ahead of normal growth. Then we saw some heat spikes that prompted our first picks. 2022 was a year for vintage-to-vintage variation and differentiation between vineyards. Our Sangiacomo grapes were harvested on three separate days from September 12 through 20, 2022.

For three generations, the Sangiacomo family has been growing grapes in Sonoma County. As master winegrowers, their fruit is highly prized for its consistent quality and delicious flavor profiles. The grapes for this Chardonnay came from three acclaimed blocks of the famed Sangiacomo Vineyard: the Kiser, Home Ranch, and El Novillero blocks in equal parts. We have been proud to work with the Sangiacomos since our debut 1987 vintage.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.1%
• cases made:

  549 Cases

• bottling date: 08/16/2023
• aging:

  Aged nine months sur lie in French oak, 18% new, 22% one-year-old.

• fermentation:

  Whole cluster pressed then cold settled for 48 hours, then racked into French oak for primary and malolactic fermentation.

92 Points: MaryAnn Worobiec Wine Spectator - May 2023

"Generous and juicy flavors of pear drop, melon and apricot are at the core of this white, with a hint of dried mango. Lemon shortbread and brown sugar accents come together with notes of lemon basil and thyme on a sleek frame, finding plenty of harmony on the finish. Drink now. 336 cases made."

The 2022 vintage was impacted by a third consecutive year of drought that resulted in up to a 10-30% reduction in yields. The growing season was temperate, which in grape growing means we were on track or ahead of normal growth. Then we saw some heat spikes that prompted our first picks. 2022 was a year for vintage-to-vintage variation and differentiation between vineyards. To ensure that the fruit was in cool, pristine condition, we hand-harvested a night on September 13th, 2022.

Spotlighting our love for exploring different Chardonnay microclimates, soil types, and regions, Tollini Vineyard is located in Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley appellation. Situated 200 feet higher than the surrounding landscape, Tollini is planted within a cool “pocket” that ensures abundant hangtime and ideal flavor development. Tollini grows two blocks of Chardonnay, with its Ricetti Ranch featuring older vines and the Grandpa’s Block featuring younger vines. Together they produce a wine with vibrant energy and lovely depth, perfume, and complexity.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.8%
• cases made:

  336 Cases

• bottling date: 08/16/2023
• aging:

  Aged in French oak; 29% new

• fermentation:

  Gently whole cluster pressed, cold settled 48hrs, racked to barrel for primary and malolactic fermentation.