Very toasty and bold in aromas, then rich, saturated and deep in flavors. A full-bodied, ripe and concentrated wine that offers smoky oak, toasted walnuts, baked apples and a touch of honey in the lingering finish. So dense and long. A beautiful wine in a dramatic style. Drink now or hold.

Waters, Stagecoach, Antica, and Hyde are all sources for this Chardonnay, fermented in barrel and aged for 10 months in 90% new French oak, mostly François Frères heavy toast. Always a crowd-pleaser, and no exception in 2023—a cool vintage that allowed for extended hang time without rapid Brix jumps or premature evolution, achieving perfect ripeness with depth and intensity of flavour and aroma. The acid tension is off the charts, shining through in this blend by Katie Vogt. A bright, fresh, and rich Chardonnay with layers of elegant citrus, refined stone and orchard fruit, leading into flamed pineapple, tangerine peel, and expressive ginger. A melted, warm honeyed texture builds, underpinned by firm tension that carries the long finish of tasty brioche and more candied ginger character.

The 2023 Chardonnay is absolutely brilliant. Sculpted and vibrant, with tons of class, the 2023 is superb. It offers a striking combination of energy, tension and power, but with a feeling of weightless elegance that is palpable. The 2023 was barrel-fermented and aged in heavy-toast French oak, 90% new, but the oak imprint is really quite minimal.

Despite being barrel-fermented and aged in 90% new French oak—the usual treatment here—Pahlmeyer's 2023 Chardonnay comes across as subtly creamy and custardy on the nose, with primary fruits reminiscent of white peach and pineapple. It's medium- to full-bodied in the mouth and smooth, silky and long on the finish. While Carneros fruit normally accounts for only about 5% of the volume, this wine is 20% Carneros, as winemaker Katie Vogt felt it matched the intensity of the mountain fruit. She also did less bâtonnage than most previous years.