2016 Chardonnay Wine

Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: This is a seamless, Old World and classic white, integrated in salty oak with a beautiful opening nose of lemon rind. Lifted, persistent acidity gives it focus and freshness, as a taste of briny oyster shell, lemongrass...

Vinous, 95 points: Pale straw-yellow. A complex, assertively perfumed bouquet evokes ripe citrus and orchard fruits, candied fig and sweet butter, along with hints of iodine and smoky minerals. Palate-staining citrus and orchard fruit...

jamessuckling.com, 92 points: Sliced papaya and mangoes, dried apricots and spices. Medium to full body, lots of fleshy tropical fruit and a textured, mouth-filling finish. Drink now or hold.

Vinous, 93 points: (91-93 points) (this wine had been racked and returned to fûts; Dauvissat planned to move it into stainless steel in August and bottle it next year): Very pale lemon-yellow color. Reticent but pure scents of minerals and...

Decanter, 94 points: The domaine’s vines in Bienvenues produced seven barrels in lieu of a normal 22 in 2016. The wine is lovely, wafting from the glass with aromas of tangerine oil, Meyer lemon, pear, subtle spice and iodine. On the palate...

Wine Spectator, 90 points: Rich and well-spiced flavors of ripe apple, peach pastry and almond tart feature buttery accents. Hazelnut cream and clove notes linger on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 1,290 cases made. — KM

Wine Enthusiast, 91 points: This is entirely barrel-fermented and French-oak aged, making for a generous, full-bodied lushness on the palate. Creamy tropical fruit, pear and melon are met by sublime texture and well-integrated oak, finishing in a...

Burghound, 90 points: (88-90 points) The fresh, ripe and softly exotic aromas are composed by notes of white fruit compote, citrus and spice. There is exceptionally good richness to the thick, even luscious medium-bodied flavors that coat the...

Burghound, 89 points: Here the expressive nose is both more elegant and more floral on the aromas of white peach, citrus and pear. The rich, concentrated and succulent medium weight flavors that possess a succulent mouth feel, all wrapped in a...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: (96+Points) This Chardonnay comes from a single Wente selection clone planted on the Estate Vineyard on Los Carneros Avenue. The wine undergoes a very long, gentle pressing before being 100% barrel fermented with native...

Vinous, 94 points: The 2016 Chardonnay Golden Slope shows the more potent, rich side of the Sta. Rita Hills. Candied orange peel, mint, hazelnut, vanilla and tropical overtones give the wine breadth. The Golden Slope is the most overt and...

jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: As always, the 2016 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is the most masculine and mineral-driven, with an exotic bouquet of white flowers, iodine, crushed rocks, and stone fruits. Reductive, concentrated, and powerful on the...

jebdunnuck.com, 93 points: The 2016 Chardonnay Anderson Valley from the team at Rhys knocks it out of the park, and I suspect it’s a screaming value. White peach, apple blossom, spice, and some white flower notes all flow to a medium-bodied...

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: The nose on this bottling blends savory depth with floral lightness, combining sandalwood, seared Meyer lemon peels, butterscotch, hot sandstone and flashes of honeysuckle on the nose. Sea salt and nectarine lead toward...