2021 Donum Chardonnay Single Vineyard Reserve
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Tasting notes
A touch reductive at first, the Ferguson Chardonnay quickly blossoms with loads of golden apple, lemon curd and ripe quince. Faint pineapple lingers in the background. On the palate, the wine is so fresh and quite approachable now – wonderfully emblematic of the cool climate of Carneros, with a clear sense of abundant sunshine tamed by coastal marine influence. Sourced from a rocky site with high silica content that is planted to Mt. Eden and Dijon 54 clones, the wine spends 16 months in 33% new French oak.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Chardonnay Ferguson has a nice balance of ripeness and freshness, with flinty reduction, fresh melon rind, and lemon curd. Medium to full-bodied, it displays good balance in its notes of almond, orange peel, and fresh pear. It retains both the sunny ripeness and sense of place of Carneros, while having a lifted and Burgundian-like appeal for its freshness and snap.
Presenting a youthful yellow hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Carneros is ripe and forward with sun-kissed fruit of ripe pineapple, lime zest, and white flowers. Full-bodied with ripe fresh fruit, honeyed citrus, ripe apple, and baking spice, it’s opulent and ripe, with a bit of nuttiness on the finish. Drink it over the next few years.
Aromas of white peach skin and lightly cooked apple follow through to a full body with nougat, light yogurt and apple. Reductive. Flint. Flavorful finish. All Wente clone. Remains agile. This is the first wine from this vintage. Drink now.
About the producer
Donum is a leading estate in Northern California. Based in Carneros, the property’s focus is crafting single-site Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Carneros, the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley and Sonoma Coast. The estate is also dotted with one of the finest sculpture collections in the world.