2024 Chardonnay Carneros Red Shoulder Ranch
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Tasting notes
For fans of Chardonnay without malolactic fermentation, Shafer's 2024 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch remains a standard-bearer. Ripe pineapple, pear and honeysuckle mark the nose, while the full-bodied palate is loaded with opulent mango fruit that's expansive and lush but brought back into focus on the crisp citrus-and-green-apple finish.
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James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Based on multiple clones and aged in 30% new French oak with no malolactic fermentation, the 2024 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch was bottled in July and offers tons of tropical fruits, honeysuckle, sweet lemon, and tangerine notes. It's medium-bodied, pure, and nicely balanced, with the fresh, fruity style of the vintage. Drink 2025-2037.
The 2024 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch is a very pretty, elegant wine. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and light tropical inflections are some of the many notes that grace this weightless, super refined Chardonnay. All the elements are so well balanced. There is a feeling of understated lightness here that is so appealing.
This has a lovely core of fruit with aromas of nectarines, grilled lemons and flint. The midweight, textural palate shows balanced acidity, finishing with a slight phenolic grip. Moving out of the cooler 2023 bottling, this is far more generous and open. Drink or hold.
About the producer
The site of Shafer has been around since 1880, and grapes continued to be grown here, even during prohibition. It is said that some wine was made here during that time. In 1972, John Shafer bought the property in the Stag’s Leap district, he immediately began planting the Cabernet on the hillside.