2023 Chardonnay Thieriot Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Lemon oil, chalk, slate, sage and petrol give the 2023 Chardonnay Thieriot Vineyard a striking aromatic brilliance, with Riesling-like inflections that are quite attractive. The 2023 is not quite as austere as young Thieriot Chardonnay can be, and that's a positive.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
A bright straw/silver color, the 2023 Chardonnay B.A. Thieriot Vineyard is refined and pure, with notes of lemon candies, salted pineapple, white peach, citrus blossoms, and powdery perfume. Medium-bodied, it has a refreshing feel throughout and is weightless while retaining an excellent core of concentration. I love the Sonoma Coast wines from the 2023 vintage a lot, and these are definitely standouts from the region at large. Drink 2025-2040. The 2023 vintage marks the 30-year milestone for the Littorai family estate, and this tasting covers 21 wines from 1993 through 2023. Except for the 1993 Pinot Noir One Acre, all of the wines for this retrospective were tasted at the end of May in New York at Union Square Cafe. Readers can find the complete range of current releases in my regional report on Sonoma.
The 2023 Chardonnay B.A. Thieriot Vineyard has detailed, continually blossoming aromas of yellow apple, lemon blossom, pie spice, toasted meringue and honey. The medium-bodied palate pairs concentrated, perfumed, peachy flavors with vibrant, shimmery acidity, and it has a very long, layered finish. 293 cases were made.
West of the town of Occidental, on the south shoulder of a 1,200 ft ridge on Goldridge loam over sandstone. Protected from the north-west winds and fog by a ridge to the north. Planted in 1996, it overlooks the fog-filled gap in the Sonoma hills, which leads to Petaluma. Farmed using organic and biodynamic methods but uncertified. Whole-cluster pressed, with occasionally some smaller portion crushed by foot prior to pressing, then barrel-fermented with ambient yeasts, and aged for 12–14 months in 20–25% new French oak, and another 5 months in steel before bottling unfined and unfiltered. Full malolactic conversion. 293 cases produced. Smells of lemon peel and lemon pith with a hint of pink grapefruit. Bright flavours of lemon peel and lemon pith mix with pomelo flesh and a stony wet chalkboard quality that lingers texturally through the finish. Bright and juicy with excellent acidity and a faint whisper of salinity. Tasty. (AY)
About the producer
Littorai stands as one of California’s most quietly influential estates, defined by organic and biodynamic farming, site transparency, and a restrained, Burgundian sensibility.