Chardonnay Wines

wines

The 2021 Clos des Chevaliers from Jean-Michel Chartron is a breathtakingly beautiful young wine. It delivers a refined aromatic constellation of apple, pear, fresh almond, crème pâtissière, a very complex base of limestone minerality, fruit blossoms, vanillin oak and a beautiful topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with a gorgeous core of fruit, stunning mineral undertow, a superb spine of acidity and laser-like focus on the long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. (Drink between 2029 - 2070)John Gilman | 97 JG4 barrels from 0.55ha is not a huge yield! Fine clean glowing pale yellow. The bouquet is promising too and shows the upper hillside authority of Chevalier. The nervous tension is very well incorporated into the weight of classy fruit, with a fine long and distinguished finish. A beautifully nuanced 2021. Excellent finish. Drink from 2028-2036.Jasper Morris | 93-97 JMThe 2021 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru, which includes one new barrel out of the four (instead of the usual dozen), has a vivid bouquet with yellow fruit, nectarine, crushed limestone and subtle fumé aromas. The palate is well balanced with vibrant acidity, taut and fresh with notes of tangerine, citrus fruit and a pinch of spice. Linear in style, this lingers nicely, though it just needs a bit more nervosité on the finish. Still, this is very promising.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMA deft though perceptible dollop of wood sets off the ultra-floral-scented nose of mineral reduction, petrol and a plenitude of spice wisps. The large-scaled flavors are borderline painfully intense while displaying an almost pungent minerality on the chiseled, youthfully austere and strikingly long finale. This is potentially brilliant.Burghound | 93-96 BH

From a 20+-year-old section of Hudson selection Old Wente clone vines, the 2019 Chardonnay Hudson (a barrel sample) delivers a full-on exotic nose of tropical fruits, pineapple upside-down cake, beeswax and spiced pears with an undercurrent of cashews and brioche plus a touch of yuzu zest. Full-bodied, the palate is satisfyingly savory and multilayered, with tons of mineral sparks accenting the opulent fruit, and the long, decadent finish is beautifully offset by racy freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPAn inviting nose of jasmine, lemon leaf, chalk and beeswax. Full-bodied and light on its feet with delicate expressions of herbs and spices that carry over the palate in layers. Subtle vanilla bean and toasted thyme on the palate. Supremely elegant. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is a total knock-out. Ripe pear, white flowers, mint and apple tart are all beautifully lifted. Rich in texture, yet light on its feet, the Hudson is unbelievably beautiful and vivid in the glass. In a word: stunning.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThere’s unctuous minerality and savoriness to the baked apple and dried pear flavors that are lacy and well-spiced, with toasty and buttery accents on the broad-textured finish. Elegant and complex. Drink now through 2026. 579 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2020 Chardonnay Powder House is ethereal and gracious in feel. Effusive aromatics give the Powder House its lifted personality. White pepper, chalk, mint and lemon oil add quite a bit of brightness. The balance here is driven by energy and vibrancy more than by volume.Antonio Galloni | 90-92 AG

A cool, late-harvest site relative to Aubert’s other sources, the 2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons also sees a bit less new French oak (50%). Readers will note that the oak made virtually no impression on me, as the wine bursts with aromas of ripe, honeyed melon, balanced by bright lime notes. Full-bodied, creamy and lush on the palate, this is just a pleasure to drink, finishing long and zesty.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis stunning version opens with a rich impression, with candied ginger, marmalade and honeyed overtones to the core of fresh fruit flavors, including notes of pear, apple, melon and citrus. Hints of orange blossoms and minerality mingle with fresh acidity, while a nutmeg-dominant wave of spices gain momentum on the long finish. Drink now through 2033. 1,538 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA big and juicy white with cooked apple, pear, honey, and mineral. Flint. Full and layered with a flavorful and delicious finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JS

Floral, non-fruity hints of crushed stone and talcum powder appear on the nose of Aubert’s 2021 Chardonnay Powder House, creating an attractive counterpoint to the wine’s honeyed richness and intense white-peach notes. Full-bodied and silky in feel, it’s a bit custardy in texture yet lithe, graceful and long, with an almost mentholated finish. There are 2,000 cases this vintage, from a Forestville vineyard planted in 2015 mainly to Hyde Old Wente, plus a bit of Mount Eden.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPLove the aromas of lemon-lime, gunpowder, kiwi, and dried lemons. It’s full, phenolic and solid. This is like red wine in structure. Long and persistent. One for the cellar. Give this some time. Best after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Powder House is elegant, polished and also a touch reticent. That won’t be an issue in time, but the Powder House is decidedly reticent today. Strong mineral accents are front and center, while the fruit feels pushed into the background. Mark Aubert’s Chardonnays have historically aged quite well. I expect that will be the case here as well.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

Mike Grgich, who turned 100 in April 2023, emigrated from Croatia to California in 1958 and worked his way up as a winemaker until, in 1973, he produced the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that triumphed in the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting. His own winery, then Grgich Hills Cellar, was founded as a partnership in 1977. Grown near San Pablo Bay, the estate Chardonnay is fermented and aged in barrels and foudres, 40% of which are new French oak. Ronan Sayburn MS: Gunflint reductive nose with green cardamom, cucumber skin, oyster shell and seaweed. Smoky subtle oak. Lean, tight and mineral. Eugenio Egorov: Hints of citrus and caramel with a touch of vanilla on the nose. Creamy and vibrant with beautiful citrus and balanced acidity. Ben Gubbins: Struck match, toast and lime aromas. The palate is firm and citrussy, holding tight through a citrus and pineapple finish.Decanter | 95 DECAromas of dried orange peel, lemon grass and hay. Medium-bodied with lovely complexity. Herbs and dried citrus meld together, with a hint of white tea adding intrigue. Well composed. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSA non-malolactic wine—made in the spirit of the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that impressed at the Paris tasting in 1976—Grgich’s 2020 Estate Grown Chardonnay features gentle toasty notes, a hint of roasted hazelnut, plus bright pineapple and citrus fruit. It’s medium-bodied, zesty and refreshing, with a long, clean finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis fruity, fresh and well-balanced wine offers an appetizing mixture of lemony crispness along with baked apple richness. A relatively light body and smooth texture bring out more ripeness and butter on the palate and finish. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WENo written review provided. | 92 W&S

Pale lemon colour. Very little nose as yet, too early perhaps for a wine of this potential power – which it certainly has on the palate, and very good acidity as well. The immense square of fruit in the mouth doesn’t yet show specific flavours but everything hangs together impressively for what will be an imposing Bâtard. Tasted: November 2021.Jasper Morris | 97-99 JMAromas of buttery orchard fruit, citrus zest and stone fruit mingle with hints of white flowers and freshly baked bread to introduce the 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (Maison Louis Jadot), a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that’s taut and structured, with racy acids and fine depth at the core. This, too, shows plenty of promise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPHere too there is a subtle application of wood framing the beautifully layered nose of white peach, carnation, citrus confit and a plethora of spice wisps. There is a bit more size, weight and volume to the solid concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract on the palate staining, powerful and impressively persistent finish. This is also quite tightly wound and packed with development potential. (Drink starting 2032)Burghound | 92-95 BHIt is classic Bâtard, rich and almost honeyed. The wine avoids heaviness, however, and simply tends toward the richer side of the spectrum. This is made from fruit purchased from the Puligny side, most of it from very old vines. It is done in large, double-sized casks to reduce the influence of the wood.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has more attack and penetration compared to the Bienvenue, greater mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is finely balanced with plenty of ripe citrus fruit laced with stem ginger and dried orange rind. Perhaps it just cuts away a little swiftly on the finish, but otherwise this is a decent 2020 white. Closure: DiamVinous Media | 91-93 VM

A hearty mouthfeel belies this wine’s quintessential and quenching acidity, driven by its cool-climate provenance and winemaking style. Green-apple, pear and tangerine flavors meld together easily along a midpalate of complex structure and length, with a lift of crispness reappearing on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2018 Chardonnay Zephyr Farms comes from a site located 6.7 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Fermented and aged in 15% new French oak, it has a distinct salty, chalky mineral character as well as plenty of lemon, pear, white flowers, toasted spice, and a touch of almond paste aromatics. Beautifully textured and medium-bodied, with integrated acidity and a great finish, this brilliant Chardonnay will evolve for a solid decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2018 Chardonnay Zephyr Farms Vineyard is one of the deeper, more overt wines in this range. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. In this tasting, the Zephyr Farms is distinguished by its vertical depth and overall intensity. Wild flower, apricot, chamomile, lemon confit and lightly honeyed notes all grace this super-expressive and inviting Chardonnay from Red Car.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

A ripe youthful yellow hue, the 2021 Chardonnay VGW is fantastic out of the gates, with ripe aromas of white smoke, lemon balm, salty earth, and white peach. From all volcanic soils, the 2021 Chardonnay VGW is ripe through the palate with generous notes of salted pineapple fruit and a rounded feel, although it’s clean as a whistle and has a fresh lift of acidity. It is drinking wonderfully now and will drink well over the next 5-7 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD

The 2019 Chardonnay Sigrid is especially lovely this vintage, offering that often-unattainable combination of plush, ripe fruits and shimmery acidity. Its aromatic nuances blossom slowly—white peach, Greek yogurt and pie spices emerging over time—and the medium-bodied palate has a persistent textural presence that draws out the finish. You could drink a bottle now for its irresistible youthful fruit and tanginess, or age it in the cellar over the next decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA bright, vivid chardonnay with aromas of nectarines, dried pineapples, lemon zest, toast and smoked almonds. It’s medium-to full-bodied with intense layers of spiced fruit. Excellent concentration and energy. Long, focused and precise. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Sigrid, like its predecessors, is shifty, peripatetic, constantly evolving, a wine to taste over the course of several days and marvel at its chameleonic shades. This is smoky and flinty when first poured, though you can already get a sense of its formidable energy and structure. After a day’s air the lees play a more central role, entwined around juicy pear and tart lemon flavors, though these too lengthen with days open. The effect is layered and fine, mouth filling but not heavy, with a seductively broad, blanketing minerality. A tour de force.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 95 W&SThe 2019 Chardonnay Sigrid is a blend from the three single vineyard sites and is held back on release to allow an additional year in bottle. It is fresh and sunny with ripe pear, green melon, and sea spray. The palate is dry with ripe peach, delicate oak spice, and chive. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSigrid is the barrel select reserve bottling made from a mix of several different vineyard sources. It’s a juicy, full-bodied wine, with lush tree fruits and beautifully proportioned acidity. Accents of lemony herbs add further detail, and as it winds down through a long finish, the barrel toast is set against a piercing minerality. This lovely wine is drinking beautifully already but could be cellared another half decade. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WESleek yet rich, offering vibrant lemon blossom and orange peel flavors, with touches of mint and spice that sail on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2022. 560 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Coming from the Santa Lucia Highlands and brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2020 Chardonnay East of Eden Pisoni Vineyard is another stunner, offering a mineral-laced bouquet of stone fruits, chalky minerality, white flowers, and toasted bread. With incredible purity, medium to full body, and perfectly integrated acidity, it brings remarkable intensity and richness while staying vibrant, balanced, and light on its feet, with flawless balance. It picks up a liqueur of rocks-like sensation aromatically and on the palate with time in the glass (I followed this bottle for multiple days) and will drink brilliantly over the coming 7-8 years, although there’s no need to delay gratification.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2020 Chardonnay Pisoni Vineyard East of Eden is precise, nuanced and full of character. The 2020 has a bit more freshens than is often the case, but that is not a bad thing. There’s a bit of vintage 2020 edginess, typical for a year in which fruit was picked very early, but all things considered, this a strong showing. Hints of lemon peel, white flowers, mint and tangerine oil linger.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

Fine pale lemon and lime. What a beautifully gracious nose, this is sheer class. All in white fruit with an engaging ripeness, more detail than Combettes, perhaps more weight than Folatières. Quite muscular for Pucelles. An explosion of fruit on the palate, almost too much to take in but there is nothing vulgar here, just the quintessence of Pucelles. Very long indeed, this is really just a babe in arms. Tasted: May 2022.Jasper Morris | 96-97 JMProminent notes of honeysuckle, Granny Smith apples, spice and a plenitude of spice elements are similarly wonderfully fresh and bright. The rich, delicious and succulent medium-bodied flavors also possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel along with ample punch on the finely detailed, focused and hugely long finish. This too is a wine of class and grace that should age effortlessly over the next 12 to 15 years. A stunner of a Pucelles.Burghound | 93-96 BHA smooth white, bordering on creamy but with bright acidity, featuring lemon cake, apple tart, mineral, vanilla and clove flavors. Features a fillip of bitterness, like grapefruit peel, on the spicy finish. Youthful and exuberant. Best from 2025 through 2032. 985 cases made, 197 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles unwinds in the glass with aromas of pear, peach and green apple mingled with white flowers, freshly baked bread and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered, charming mid-palate and a precise finish, it’s a charming, seamless wine in the making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru conveys the imprimatur of the growing season more than Leflaive’s other cuvées, the ripest and perhaps more exotic with candied orange peel, quince and light peppermint scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity, ripe and quite bold in style, though it clams up towards its slightly reductive finish. Give this four to five years in bottle.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Mid lemon yellow. The bouquet also takes time to emerge, then shows a little more power than the Bienvenues. The oak is a fraction more present but still superbly integrated. The taffeta texture could not possibly have more tensile strength, with an exemplary purity of fruit. To have so much power (not in an alcoholic sense) and yet so much grape. Little light fresh apple notes to finish. Tasted: May 2022.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMA wonderfully floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of petrol, citrus, white orchard and a hint of oak toast. The bigger and richer flavors also possess a gorgeous mouthfeel that is almost delicate yet racy with excellent delineation on the youthfully austere and beautifully balanced finish that just goes on and on. This is potentially a magnificent Bâtard and it’s going to be interesting to compare this with the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in a decade’s or so time. In sum, I would offer the same advice - if you can find it, buy it.Burghound | 95-97 BHThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more powerful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, ripe citrus fruit, peach, buttery pastry and baking spices. Full-bodied, satiny and multidimensional, it’s a broad, muscular wine with racy acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more backward on the nose compared to the Bienvenue at the moment despite rigorous coaxing. The palate has impressive weight and density, perhaps less finesse than the more approachable Bienvenue at the moment but with more aging potential. It feels long on the saline finish, but it’s surly at this early stage.Vinous Media | 96 VMA sleek, lemon-infused version, with a linear profile and racy structure delineating the lemon, peach, green apple, mineral and spice flavors. Remains lean and steely, with a long, spicy finish. Best from 2026 through 2037. 500 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

I’m inclined to nominate the 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes as Leflaive’s finest premier cru this year. Wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, citrus oil, fresh peach, toasted nuts and smoke, it’s full-bodied, rich and satiny, with an immensely concentrated and incisive profile. Taut and chiseled despite its mid-palate plenitude, it’s built to cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is a step up in terms of mineralité and terroir expression from the preceeding Folatières. There is more precision, greater expression of place. The palate sports a very small reduction on the entry, then it segues into a very concentrated mid-palate that seems to fill the mouth. Great depth and spiciness towards the finish, this is an outstanding Combettes from Leflaive. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 96 VMModerate reduction is sufficient to mask the underlying fruit today. More interesting are the wonderfully fine and delicate yet punchy flavors that possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel before culminating in a sappy saline and strikingly persistent finish. I very much like the balance and this beauty may well prove to be a great Combettes in time.Burghound | 93-95 BHThis white offers lemon cake, lime blossom and citronella flavors allied to a lean frame, giving it intensity. Starts out velvety, but it remains precise and mouthwatering on the long citrusy, minerally aftertaste. Fine symmetry overall. Best from 2023 through 2029. 58 cases made, 11 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis wine split the room, most rating it very high though I joined the minority in worrying about the balance between seemingly high alcohol and high acidity. But we may be wrong because this wine did show grand cru weight. I have stuck with the score and tasting note which I originally made, however. Mid primrose in colour, with a beefy, high alcohol bouquet than also contains a wealth of fruit. Super powerful, high acidity, a little bit too much going on? Not sure about the balance here. The wine will find favour with those comfortable with higher alcohol levels, though how well the rather powerful acidity balances that is uncertain. Slightly overtoasted wood. Feels like grand cru weight. DIAM D closure. Drink from 2027-2033. Tasted: May 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

The 2020 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard opens with lemon and saline tones before blossoming to exotic streaks of panna cotta and honey. Medium-bodied, silky and richly fruited, it offers a balance of concentrated, ripe fruit on a bright, translucent frame and finishes with great length and anchoring texture.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPClassic high-quality Chardonnay notes of orchard fruits, classy oak, brioche, and honeysuckle all emerge from the 2020 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard, a medium-bodied, pure, balanced, straight-up impressive white from this team. With plenty of mid-palate depth, it brings bright acidity, good precision and focus, and outstanding length, and while I like it today, I see no reason this won’t evolve for 7-8 years, if not over a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2020 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard is bright, airy and lifted. In this vintage, the Los Alamos Chardonnay has a bit more texture and mid-palate pliancy than is often the case. That’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, orchard fruit, white flowers, spice and tangerine oil build in the oily, beautifully textured finish.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGGavin Chanin’s Los Alamos chardonnay in 2020 is a departure from prior vintages, which are notable for their lean energy. This wine starts off with a rich attack, warm and fresh, bearing beautiful salted lemon fruit flavors. It’s the sort of wine that takes days to open, the richness and smokiness receding with air as the wine falls into an elegant balance.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SLight pear flesh, lemon butter and chiseled sandstone aromas show on the nose of this bottling. Warmer flavors of pear flesh, lime juice and chalk make for a fresh, fun and approachable palate.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Given all of the fireworks in this tasting from the Montée de Tonnerre upwards, I was wondering if the 2021 les Clos could somehow acquit itself impeccably, given how stunning the lineup had been up until this point. It does not disappoint! The aromatic constellation here is complex and precise, offering up scents of green apple, lime, grapefruit, flinty minerality, citrus peel, dried flowers and gentle smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is beautifully complex, well balanced and poised, with a full-bodied format, great depth at the core, brisk acids and laser-like focus on the long and stunning finish. (Drink between 2028-2065). John Gilman | 96 JGThe 2021 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru comes from 4.1 hectares mainly located on the upper sector of the Grand Cru, the vines planted in the postwar period by Maurice Fèvre, the father of William Fèvre. It has a powerful bouquet with hints of white flower permeating the citrus fruit and apple blossom aromas. The palate has wonderful salinity on the entry, a fine bead of acidity, citrus-fresh with clementine, hints of peach and a twist of bitter lemon that keeps the finish on its tippy-toes. Great potential.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM

The 2021 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru comes from southwest facing parcels (Fèvre almost half the holdings in this Grand Cru) has a very marine-influenced bouquet with touches of granite and a light smoky note. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, nicely focused with a touch of quince complementing the citrus fruit, though I am just seeking a little more mineralité to come through on the final third.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMFevre’s Bougros covers around 50% of the whole Bougros climat. With it’s westerly location in the grand cru, Bougros is often a warmer site and once can taste the sweetness to the fruit here, beautifully balanced by 2021’s acidity. Although not the weightiest, showiest or most concentrated grand cru, there is lots to like, with notes of grapefruit, a touch of citrus zest and excellent acidity. With good volume in the mouth, this finishes very fresh. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2034Decanter | 92 DEC

The May 2017 disgorgement of Fallon’s NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Ozanne is showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, freshly baked bread, toasted nuts, candied peel and honeycomb. Full-bodied, vinous and concentrated, it’s layered and textural, with a bright spine of acidity, a pearly enlivening mousse and a long, intensely sapid finish. Its combination of power and tension makes this the finest wine I’ve tasted from Fallon to date. Of course, finding any of the thousand or so bottles released every year is next to impossible, but readers able to track one or two down are in for a treat.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Ozanne is laced with gorgeous scents of pastry, brioche, citrus, white flowers and yellow orchard fruit. Warm, oxidative tones add breadth and volume, but the wine remains weightless, impeccable and pure. The delineated, crystalline finish leaves a lasting impression. This is a super-impressive showing from a producer who appears to have a very bright future. Ozanne is the old, historical name by which Avize was known prior to 796. Disgorged May 25, 2012.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The 2020 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru opens in the glass with aromas of confit citrus, pear, freshly baked bread, hazelnuts, pastry cream and white flowers. Full-bodied, ample and seamless, it’s layered and concentrated, with lively acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP

This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2020 Chardonnay El Enemigo from Gualtallary, Uco Valley was aged in oak with flor for twelve months with 15% coming from other years. Yellowish green in the glass. The nose presents notes of hazel and chestnuts accompanied by green apple and expressive whiffs of chamomile and pineapple. In the mouth, it’s taut with heightened freshness and a compact character from the flor exposing the skeletal acidity.Vinous Media | 94 VMShows Viognier-like floral notes of gardenia and honeysuckle, with an elegant yet rich body of peach and pineapple. Reveals hints of thyme and mineral on the lengthy finish. Drink now through 2026. 1,600 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Fevre’s Vaulorent is just a little more precise on the nose. Seguier says it is always elegant, always fresh. Fevre’s take on this renowned premier cru has an understated nose yet you can feel the power within. Lovely ripeness of fruit, but all in a very compact package at the moment. Although this is disarmingly approachable now, this will be a wine to cellar carefully, allowing all the perfectly formed components to blossom.Decanter | 95 DECA much less expressive nose, indeed it is all but mute, requires aggressive swirling to eventually coax aromas of white orchard fruit, citrus blossom and seawater. The richer and slightly more powerful flavors also possess a sophisticated mouthfeel along with excellent depth and persistence on the balanced finale where a touch of youthful austerity slowly emerges. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 92-94 BHThe 2021 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru comes from 3.60-hectares, of course, the only Premier Cru on the same incline as the Grand Crus. The soils here are very marn. It has an energetic petrichor, slightly fumé bouquet that is very well focused. The palate is well balanced, taut and fresh with fine acidity, lemon verbena and citrus peel emerging towards the finish. Delightful, though the Montée de Tonnerre has just a little more harmony.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

This is very unique in character, with sliced apple, honeysuckle and lavender. Spearmint, too. It’s medium-bodied with some pine and cooked-apple character in the palate. Flavorful, yet sophisticated and thoughtful. Minerally, compact and focused. 31-year-old vines. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSPacks precise flavors of ripe peach, apricot and salted preserved lemon, with lime accents and a savory thread of minerality. Offers a vibrant mouthful of acidity that keeps the flavors in focus, while a hint of dried lemon verbena peeks in on the finish. Drink now through 2029. 1,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard is toasty and open on the nose with baked apples and white peaches complemented by wafts of jasmine, crushed almonds and graphite. The light-bodied palate is satiny with concentrated, toasty fruits and balancing mouthwatering acidity. It has lots of focus and energy, and hints of exotic spice in the undercurrent suggest there’s loads more expression waiting to emerge as this unwinds in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard comes from a great vineyard in Carneros and spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a touch more tropical nuances in its melon and papaya-like fruits as well as white flowers, toasted spice, and brioche-like aromas and flavors. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is soft, supple, and opulent while still showing fabulous purity and precision. This is another gorgeous Chardonnay from this estate that will keep for 4-5 years, if not longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2019 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations No. 2 is a pretty laid-back wine for Hyde, where the wines tend to be richer and weightier. Apricot, lemon confit, marzipan, apricot, tangerine peel, lightly honeyed notes and dried flowers all meld together in this beautifully precise expression of Hyde.Vinous Media | 94 VMLots of beautiful cooked-apple, lemon-curd and light pie-crust aromas follow through to a full body with a round texture, pear puree and a hint of apple pie. A combination of softness and brightness. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Brocard’s 7 Lieux Grand Cru Preuses is a magnificent wine in the making. Although there is plenty of ripeness on display this regal grand cru is cool, crisp and supremely elegant. An aristocratic feel here, with great focus and lingering minerality to finish. From Domaine Brocard vines, all the components are in place to allow this to develop glacially for 15-20 years.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru is curiously just a little innocuous on the nose at the moment. I wonder if this might be going through a dumb phase? The palate is harmonious on the entry with orange peel and light peachy nose, slightly honeyed in texture, and it captures the spiciness that I seek from Les Preuses. Maybe not quite the length that you would obtain from a top vintage, but a finely made Chablis.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThis is also quite aromatically elegant with its array of green fruit, cool citrus, wet stone and spice. The medium-weight flavors are at once seductive yet powerful with solid volume while coating the palate on the clean, dry and lingering finish that is borderline simple. This has the stuffing to age and improve up to a decade so more depth should reasonably develop if given a few years.Burghound | 90-92 BH

The 2019 Chardonnay Laurelwood District comes from seven different vineyard sites throughout the appellation. It’s energetic, spicy and mineral-driven this vintage, with transparent aromas of white peach, beeswax, jasmine and flint. The palate pairs spicy fruit with exotic floral undertones. It has a satiny, expansive texture balanced by a spine of shimmery acidity, and it finishes long and expressive.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA crunchy and bright chardonnay with sliced lemon and honeysuckle, crushed stone and jasmine. Some lime and green mango too. Lovely acidity and hints of tannins give tension and energy to the wine at the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThis Chardonnay, made with fruit from the Ponzi family’s original 1970 plantings and a series of Laurelwood District vineyards, is quite a treat. Its floral qualities are almost too numerous to fit into a tasting note. Suffice it to say that honeysuckle, flowering tobacco and lemon catmint provide a heady amount of jasmine and citrus notes. Lighter-bodied, with a smooth mouthfeel, this lovely Chardonnay has flavors of Bosc pear, toasted filberts and a clean sea breeze. The acidity is lively, with a touch of butter on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA handsome Chardonnay that offers elegantly complex apple and spice flavors, with a steely hint of minerality as this finishes on a vibrant accent. Drink now. 722 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis perfumed white offers brisk Asian pear and apple blossom notes against a tonic mineral backdrop. It’s a bit more delicate and sheer in style compared to the producer’s more powerful, single-vineyard bottlings but delightfully thirst-quenching. The Laurelwood District in the Chehalem Mountains became an AVA in 2020 based on a petition by the Ponzi family to highlight the region’s deep, wind-blown loess topsoil over decomposed basalt.Decanter | 90 DEC