2023 J. Rochioli Chardonnay Sweetwater Vineyard

Coming from the top of the property, the 2023 Chardonnay Sweetwater opens to notes of fresh poached pear, light white pepper, spice, and hints of fresh golden peach. The palate has a broader, rounded, more supple feel, with hints of almond and chamomile, a ripe texture, and refreshing underlying acidity. Drink 2025-2035. Tom Rochioli is leading his historic family winery and vineyards along with his wife Theresa and their children, Rachael (General Manager) and Ryan (Assistant Winemaker). The focus is on estate-grown expressions of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and old vine Sauvignon Blanc. Tom’s grandparents immigrated from Italy in 1911 and came to the Russian River Valley in 1938, moving to the 125-acre Fenton Acres property where the winery is today. In the 1970s and 1980s, Tom’s father Joe began selling their grapes to winemakers Davis Bynum and Williams Selyem, who produced some of the best wines in the region. It wasn’t until 1983 that Rochioli decided to produce their own wines and changed the name of the property from Fenton Acres to Rochioli Vineyards.

The 2023 Chardonnay Sweetwater Estate emerges from a block planted in 2000 using clonal material taken from Kistler's Vine Hill property. There's gorgeous weight and texture to play off the natural acids of this late-ripening vintage. Orange confit, chamomile, tangerine peel and lightly honeyed notes all build in the glass. This understated Chardonnay is impeccable.