2020 Chardonnay

The Alois Lageder 2020 Chardonnay Löwengang opens to a classy touch of reduction that recalls flint or struck match. It lifts quickly to reveal pear quince golden apple honey glaze vanilla wafer and saffron. There is a spicy... Read More

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie is promising offering up aromas of pear crisp green apple lime zest freshly baked bread and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied satiny and elegant it's fleshy but precise with... Read More

Chartogne-Taillet’s 2020 Blanc de Blancs Chemin de Reims disgorged in October 2024 with a dosage of 2.5 grams per liter is another success. It opens with vivid aromas of fresh apricot grapefruit zest and jasmine mingling with... Read More

Chartogne’s 2020 Blanc de Blancs Hors Série is showing superbly. It opens with a deep bouquet of orange zest ripe pear and white blossoms mingling with lemon confit. Full-bodied and concentrated the wine retains striking vitality... Read More

There is enough wood to merit mentioning but not so much as to overshadow the vaguely exotic and ripe aromas of white peach apple compote various citrus elements and a whiff of acacia blossom. The wood is also reflected by the... Read More

The 2020 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard was harvested on September 12 and matured in larger 300- to 500-liter barrels. It opens with creamy new oak spices over baked peaches baklava beeswax and jasmine. The palate is... Read More

The 2020 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast is a blend of declassified barrels from Ferren's single-vineyard program. It was matured in 20% new French oak for 12 months and six months in stainless steel. It takes time to unfold from... Read More

I was unaware until very recently that the les Chênes vineyard in Cumières is one of the most important sites historically in all of Champagne, and no less a figure than Dom Pérignon himself directed his acolytes... Read More

Richer and fleshier than the more incisive Gravières the 2020 Santenay 1er Cru Le Beaurepaire mingles aromas of crisp stone fruit and mandarin oil with hints of ripe pear freshly baked bread and hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied... Read More

A deft application of wood can be found on the vaguely exotic aromas of white peach lemon-lime and pretty floral whiffs. The sleek intense and finer if less concentrated and powerful middle weight flavors also possess a beautiful... Read More

Moderate post-bottling reduction renders the nose tough to clearly assess at present. By contrast there is excellent vibrancy to the sleek and mineral-suffused flavors that aren't quite as dense but they are notably finer... Read More

Here the wood treatment is no longer subtle though it stops short of fighting with the wonderfully broad-ranging nose of lemon confit jasmine tea acacia blossom and an abundance of spice elements. There is superb density and almost... Read More

13% alcohol. From an own-rooted vineyard planted in 1972 at 1400 ft 3 miles from the Pacific (it’s Bohan Vineyard) this is fermented in French oak (20% new) and has minimum effective SO2 added. It’s sensational. Taut fine... Read More

Like the Poruzots there is a noticeable phenolic character to the slightly riper aromas of jasmine tea white peach and floral nuances. The gorgeously textured medium weight flavors possess excellent mid-palate density along with... Read More

The 2020 Chardonnay Seven Springs Vineyard was picked on September 22 after the smoke from the wildfires in Willamette Valley cleared. It was fermented and matured for around 11 months in 50% new oak. It has intense aromas of... Read More

The nose of the 2020 PlumpJack Reserve Chardonnay opens with a range of citrus notes – lemon, orange zest, pomelo, and key lime. Just behind these are the rich tropical notes of lychee and feijoa along with the sweeter,... Read More

By Antonio Galloni The 2020 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard from Block I shows all the class that is so typical of the best wines of this site. Silky and layered with striking depth the Bien Nacido Chardonnay is gorgeous. Light... Read More

Wafting from the glass with aromas of pear orange oil baking spices fresh bread and toasted nuts the 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Les Reisses Vieilles Vignes is medium to full-bodied ample and layered with a satiny attack that... Read More