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The 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch has expressive notes of honeycomb, ripe orchard fruit of peach, white mushroom, and fresh spice. Full-bodied, it has a more rounded and creamy texture on the palate, with lemon curd, citrus oil, and ripe apple. Its pristine fruit holds good freshness, and this very pretty wine has a distilled quality that makes I feel like it will last forever. This is a gorgeous wine to enjoy over the next 12-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is buzzing with energy and promises a long life in the cellar. It features scents of golden apples, cashew, honeysuckle and beeswax with streaks of matchstick. The light-bodied palate’s expansive, satiny texture is foiled by its mouthwatering acidity, and it offers concentrated, perfumed fruit that lingers impressively on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch bursts with bold notes of key lime pie, kumquats, and citron blossom, leading to hints of brine, dill seed, and white pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers tight-knit citrus and stony flavors, with a crisp backbone and long, wonderfully pure finish.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIIntense aromas of ripe apple, oyster shell, pie crust dough, and lemon rind. Some candied apple and flint. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit and medium phenolics that hold it all together. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSA complex white, offering notes of flint, nutmeg, cardamom and baked apples, with details of grilled Meyer lemon, vanilla custard and toasted, salted hazelnut. All of these flavors are balanced and seamless, with plenty of momentum and a fresh thread of acidity. Drink now. 1,050 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is the most accessible wine in this flight of Chardonnays. Tropical accents meld into orange confit, hazelnut, butter and sweet spice. The flavors are pretty intense, and yet the 2021 remains wonderfully light on its feet, with pretty floral top notes that add tons of charm and sheer appeal.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard needs a little shaking before it prances out with showy notes of fresh apricots, Golden Delicious apples, and ginger ale, followed by hints of honeysuckle, nutmeg, and lime cordial. The full-bodied palate is super intense with concentrated citrus, stone fruit, and gingery layers, supported by an amazing backbone of freshness and a silken texture, finishing especially long and minerally. This is amazing.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIA very wild and tropical Hudson chard with distinctive aromas and flavors of dried pineapple, pear and cooked lemon with some pie crust. Plenty of phenolic tension, too. Flavorful finish. Beeswax. Zip of acidity at the end. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is bright and effusive as it soars from the glass. Yellow flowers, orchard fruit, mint, spice and a kiss of French oak lend notable aromatic presence. Deceptive in its mid-weight feel, the 2021 is classic Hudson in its flavor profile and overall feel.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is powerful yet seamless, although it’s youthfully coiled and deserves plenty of time to unfold in bottle. It’s savory on the nose to begin, with wafts of iodine that give way to fresh citrus and peach. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth-coating with concentrated lime-and-flint flavors counterbalanced by vibrant acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPTaking on a sunnier feel aromatically, the 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is ripe with attractive aromas of orchard fruit, ripe lemon balm, and fresh herbs. The palate is ripe and full-bodied, with a rounded mouthfeel and notes of ripe apricot, orange, and fresh flowers as well as a bit of toasted spice. It’s approachable now or over the next 6-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDRich and succulent, with flavors of caramelized apple, grilled pineapple, apricot and ripe, juicy peach, plus a drizzle of wildflower honey. Notes of salted, ripe melon linger on the finish, which gains plenty of momentum, with vibrant acidity. Drink now. 1,050 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Very aromatic and friendly and cuddly with apple pie, oyster shell, caramel and candied lemon character on both the nose and palate. Medium to full body. Vibrant acidity makes this energetic and lively. Dried apple and pear as well as ripe apple and toasted bread with butter and cinnamon. Rock salt. Love this. One of the best Hyde Chardonnays I have tasted. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is singular and expressive! Saline, lime candy, chalk and lemongrass aromas are underpinned by a pleasurable smoky reduction, and as it spends time in the glass, it continues to blossom and gain aromatic intensity. The palate is ethereal, seamless and silky, with a deep core of candied citrus fruit and chalky nuances that define the very long, very powerful finish. This vibrant, characterful Hyde Chardonnay will be long-lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA slightly bright yellow, the 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard has very pretty aromatics of lime blossom, fresh pear, and saline, and like the other Chardonnays from Kistler, it has a savory element to it. Medium to full-bodied, with a more delicate and ethereal nature, its floral perfume coaxes throughout the palate, with melon rind, white peach, and a hint of salty earth. Delivering fresh acidity and purity, it has fantastic lift and a more Chablis-like texture, with a note of crushed rock on the finish. Drink it over the next 10 or more years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis inviting, stunning mix of power and elegance opens with an apple tart note, offering whiffs of smoke, salted caramel and peach preserves, plus a drizzle of wildflower honey, nougat and Greek yogurt. Dried, crystalized fruit notes join a touch of crunchy sea salt, adding tension to the fresh thread of acidity. Everything is wrapped up in a luxuriously silky and smooth texture, with an epic finish. Drink now through 2035. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard gallops out with bold notes of crunchy pears, yellow apples, and lemongrass tea, followed by hints of baking bread, wet slate, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with impressive tension and loads of soft-spoken, mineral layers, finishing with a zesty lift.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is laced with the essence of tangerine oil, hazelnut, passionfruit, spice and lightly honeyed notes. All the exotic signature of Hyde come through loud and clear, but there’s tons of energy too. I especially like how this opens with time. This is beautifully done.Vinous Media | 95 VM

A fantastic chardonnay with super phenolic tension and purity of fruit with sliced apple and spiced pear. Reductive and tight. It’s full-bodied, but so reserved and structured with great phenolic tension that is polished and endless. Needs time to open and show you its greatness. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is scented of warm peaches, pie crust and spice with singular touches of white pepper and chamomile tea. The medium-bodied palate is incredibly powerful, featuring a satiny, mouth-coating texture balanced by vibrant acidity, a concentrated core of peachy fruit and an epically long, flavorful finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPFrom the Moon Mountain AVA, the 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is a bright golden hue and reveals aromas of smoky earth, cardamom, and fresh flowers. Full-bodied, with a lot of power behind it, it’s rich with concentration and structure and offers iron-rich earth, ripe pear, and more savory richness on the finish as well as a bit of almond and frangipane.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard skips out of the glass with bright, cheery notes of fresh yellow apples, lemongrass, and lime leaves, giving way to wafts of struck flint, marzipan, and pie crust with a touch of ginger. The medium to full-bodied palate offers vibrant citrus and chalky layers, with a lively line and long, savory finish.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is a wine of grace and class. Time in the glass brings out hints of ginger, dried flowers and spice that lend an exotic flair. I would cellar this for a year or two, as the wine’s structural elements are front and center at this stage. There’s gorgeous aromatic presence that begins to emerge over time.Vinous Media | 96 VMShows a distinct savory thread, with dried lemon verbena, sage and tarragon overtones. A sesame seed detail complements the apple, pear and citrus flavors at the core. This gains momentum on the finish, where a honeycomb note and spice accents reveal themselves. Drink now. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2021 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard is only produced in magnums and this is the 6th vintage release. After a little swirling, it springs from the glass with eager-to-please notes of fresh grapefruit, lemon tart, and juicy pears, followed by hints of lime blossoms, mandarin peel, and jasmine tea. The medium to full-bodied palate offers fantastic tension with multilayered, tightly wound citrus and floral notes, finishing very long with loads of mineral and zesty fireworks.The Wine Independent | 99 TWIThe 2021 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard is vibrant yet powerful. Bottled only in magnums, it opens slowly to wafts of matchstick and roasted almonds before revealing its core of lemon and apricot fruit. The medium-bodied palate features concentrated, expansive flavors that blossom dramatically from almonds to peach, spring honey and spice, yet its vibrant acidity creates a shimmery feel. It has a luxurious, satiny texture and a hauntingly long finish. Wow!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPOnly produced in magnum, the 2021 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard is pure and layered with aromatics of lemon curd, lime blossom, petrol, and green apple. Medium to full-bodied, with wonderful focus and tension, it’s all about that green apple. Its crunchy fruit and fresh, salty citrus make it absolutely delicious, and it offers exceptional balance and length, with ripe, sweet citrus that’s irresistible. Drink it over the next 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge (bottled only in magnum) captures all the best the year had to give. Rich, explosive and wonderfully deep, the 2021 exudes concentration and structure from the very first taste. Crushed rocks, dried lemon peel, white flowers, mint, herbs and incense all build in the glass, with a light touch of reduction that extends into the finish. This complex, dynamic Chardonnay is a stunning wine by any measure.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis stunning white jumps out of the glass aromatically, offering notes of nutmeg, marzipan, white flowers, peach preserves and Meyer lemon. The flavors and aromas continue to unfold, with wave after wave of toasted, salted almond, ripe melon and shortbread details, plus a touch of vanilla bean. The texture is succulent and fleshy, showing off a vibrant, pure thread of acidity. Drink now through 2035. 212 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe purity of fruit here is impressive with cooked apple, lemon and flint with some pie crust dough. The palate is full and complete with everything there but nothing sticking out. Dried apple, cooked lemon rind and flint with crushed oyster shell. Dried limes at the end. Give it three to four years to open. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JS

A very fine and polished chardonnay with focus, polished phenolics and a refined nature. It’s medium-bodied with beautiful fruit. Hints of salted caramel to the cooked apple and pineapple flavors. It’s poised and gorgeous and shows you what it has in a sophisticated way. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard is SO spicy - it sashays out with opulent scents of candied ginger, allspice, and cinnamon, giving way to a profound core of juicy nectarines, apple pie, and Bosc pears, plus a hint of orange blossom. The full-bodied palate is decadently expressive, delivering loads of baking spice and warm pear flavors supported by seamless freshness, finishing long and decadent.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIAromatically the 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard exhibits notes of gravelly earth, with Meyer lemon, and white flowers. On the palate, it takes on so much focus, with vibrant energy, and feels more linear in its approach, with driving citrus, lime, bright green apple, and a touch of nuttiness on the finish. It’s long and driving. Drink 2025-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard features alluring tones of spring honey, panna cotta, crushed almonds, jasmine and a core of white peach. The medium-bodied palate has a deeply concentrated core of peachy fruit balanced by a gentle chalkiness and refreshing bursts of tangy acidity. Powerful yet energetic, it has a long life ahead.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard is packed with the essence of tangerine oil, hazelnut, dried flowers, herbs and ripe apricot. Potent and layered, the Stone Flat is super-impressive right out of the gate. It’s another wine with real density. All the elements are dialed up in 2021. Stone Flat is distinguished from Durell, which is adjacent, because of the use of 420A rootstock (versus 3309 at Durell). That, in the theory, results in a wine with lower pH and therefore higher acidity, but that is not the impression conveyed in tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMRich and succulent, offering notes of flint, grilled peach, dried apricot and mango at the core, with a strong thread of crushed rock, plus a hint of ripe, salted melon. Lemon curd and white flower accents linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Looking at the flagship estate Viognier, the 2021 Viognier Estate boasts a vibrant, medium to full-bodied, incredibly focused and mineral-driven profile that reminds me of a Condrieu from pure granite soils. Tangerine oil, honeyed flowers, brioche, and citrus notes all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and one heck of a great finish. I finished my note with "Love it." As I’ve written in the past, no one in the New World does Viognier better than John Alban.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2021 Viognier Estate is tremendously expressive and vibrant! It’s layered and complex on the nose, segueing from savory matchstick to exotic, musky perfume, candied peaches and tangerine oil. The palate offers flesh and unctuousness without fattiness, full flavors that are tempered by a powerful textural bite and flinty streaks and energetic acidity that combine to create an alluring, shimmery finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

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

Pie crust with brioche, lemon meringue, lime leaf, and blackboard chalk. Very aromatic. Full-bodied, with terrific structure and incredibly complex on the finish with seaweed and umami. Sea breeze, iodine and oyster finish. Superb wine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL comes from largely Goldridge soils in parcels owned and managed by the Valdez family (UV being the initials of Ulises Valdez, Aubert’s frequent vineyard collaborator, who died in 2018). There are 2,000 cases of this elixir, which offers up classic notes of toasted hazelnuts, white peaches and citrus zest. It’s full-bodied, rich and opulent yet contained and controlled, with great silky length and energy. Aubert describes the oak thusly: "The oak is perfect. It just kisses you with a bit of vanilla and cookie dough." The wine is certainly delicious, and thinking back on it, I wonder if my rating is a bit conservative.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2021 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is one of the more exotic wines in the range. Initially a bit ethereal, the 2021 opens beautifully on the mid-palate and finish, where it shows tremendous breadth and notable mineral intensity. The UV-SL is not quite as obvious as some of the other wines in this range, but its pedigree is evident. There’s real density here, and tons of class.Vinous Media | 95-97 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 2021 Chardonnay One Sixteen, matured for 14 months in 34% new French oak, takes some time to shake off its youthful crème brûlée and allspice tones to reveal apricot, beeswax and honeysuckle aromas. The medium-bodied palate offers powerful fruit and oak spice and satisfying freshness to lift the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Cut grass, dark green herbs and yellow apple aromas show on the nose of this bottling. It’s very lean on the palate with a zippy, energetic acidity that cuts right through the cement, crushed stone and serrano flavors, engaging the palate on all sides.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Au Naturel is laced with hints of pear, mint, chamomile, spice and apricot. Racy and textured in feel, the Au Naturel has plenty of richness to play off the natural vivacity of the year.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGAll varietal, the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Au Naturel offers a touch more oomph in its white peach, melon, white flowers, and honeysuckle-like aromas and flavors. It’s rich, medium-bodied, balanced, and certainly an outstanding expression of Sauvignon Blanc.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is the first vintage of Chardonnay from Donnachadh. It was barrel fermented and matured for around 10 months. Its aromas combine bright herbal, green apple and pear tones with underlying savory hints. The light-bodied palate is bright and fresh, yet offers a touch of anchoring creaminess that draws out the finish. Proprietor Drew Duncan says that for this vintage, fruit came from the Donnachadh estate, although that may not be the case in the future as this new project really gets up and running.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis brand’s new appellation bottling satisfies in both Old and New World ways. Clean, chalky aromas of bright Meyer lemon flesh and pith meet with a briny note on the mineral-laden nose. The palate is wrapped in chiseled-stone tannins, loaded with acidity and yet generous on flavors of white melon, lychee, nectarine and honeysuckle.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc L’Après-Midi, blended with 8% Sémillon and matured in about 15% new French oak, features ringing tones of peach, kiwi, tarragon and white lily with undertones of candle smoke, flint and petrichor. The palate opens with pure fruit before unfurling expansive, savory accents, and its fresh acidity balances its satiny, mouth-coating texture. Its juxtaposition of concentrated fruit and shimmery tension draws you back to the glass for another dynamic sip, and although it’s approachable now, it will develop complexity in bottle over the next decade. 2,163 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Oozing with character, this succulent and mouthwatering white offers a fleshy, juicy mix of perfectly ripe peach, mango and lemon bar flavors, with fresh herbal accents of lemon verbena and vetiver. Offers accents of freshly grated ginger, tangerine and crunchy sea salt on the finish. Drink now through 2036. 7,442 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSLight butter and vanilla bean aromas lead to vivid, racy lemon curd, lime zest and cream flavors in this well-balanced, medium-bodied wine. The most affordable of the Ramey chardonnays, it still delivers an elegant texture and delicious flavors. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JS

With only a tiny proportion of oak (8% of the volume), the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Batch 111 The House features classic grapefruit and grassy aromas, plus hints of snow pea and pineapple. It’s medium to full-bodied, plump, round and easy to drink, with enough citrus zest on the finish to keep me coming back for additional sips.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPFruity and herbal influences vie for dominance in this full-bodied, relatively crisp wine. Opening with cut grass and parsley aromas, the wine moves to vivid lemon and grapefruit flavors on a lively texture. Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE