97pts James Suckling

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.

96pts Vinous

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.

94pts Wine Spectator

Powerful up front, showing concentration, but at the core this is an elegant, seamless white, with white peach, melon and caramel apple flavors that offer length and depth. Accents of candied ginger, lemon blossoms and lemon curd, along with toasted and buttered brioche notes, come in on the long finish. Drink now through 2037.

93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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.

Winemaker Notes

The 2023 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay is a bright, fresh expression of our mountain fruit, offering remarkable precision and depth. Aromatically, it is highly expressive, with notes of honeysuckle, orange blossom, and preserved lemon, deepening into a core of tangerine and apricot. A touch of toasted almond and a subtle flinty note add further complexity. On the palate, this Chardonnay balances intensity with elegance – finely detailed and in perfect focus. Its acidity is vibrant and mouthwatering, lifting the layers of citrus and stone fruit while lending a seamless, silky texture. A long, polished finish echoes with hints of warm honey and citrus zest.