Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator - Vinous
Top 100 of 2024
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
#43 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024
Delicate aromas of white flower and coastal minerality frame a beautiful nose on this Chardonnay. Hints of Kaffir lime leaf, fresh herbs, and elements of citrus amplify the bright savory character. The firs sip offers a flourish of fresh fruit, which knits into artful integration with focused acidity and lovely chalky textures. As the wine opens in the glass, faint notes of almond skin balance gentle citrus and pear, lingering on a minerals rich finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
The aromas of honeysuckle, subtle green apples and pears are delightful. Medium-bodied with a lively phenolic texture and flavors of limes, umami and sea salt. Crunchy, too. An energetic chardonnay.
-
Wine Spectator
This distinctive white features a lively, mouthwatering and energetic mix of pomelo, yuzu and lemon sherbet flavors, with hints of sweetgrass, apple blossoms and lime zest. There's also an appealing grip on the finish.
-
Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast) from Flowers is gorgeous. Bright, aromatic and vibrant, the 2023 captures all the personality of this late-ripening vintage. Bright saline notes drive through a core of lemon peel, white pepper, slate, chalk and mint. This steely, beautifully persistent Chardonnay is a winner.
Other Vintages
2022-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling - Decanter
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine &
Spirits -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker - Decanter
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine &
Spirits
-
Wine &
Spirits -
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wine &
Spirits
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine &
Spirits
-
Connoisseurs'
Guide
-
Wine &
Spirits
-
Wine &
Spirits
-
Wine &
Spirits
Over 25 years ago, Flowers Vineyards and Winery pioneered the growing of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged coastal ridges of the extreme Sonoma Coast. Joan and Walt Flowers had a simple goal, to make exceptional wine that captures the wild beauty of the land and the spirit of the Sonoma Coast. This idea continues to drive everything we do - farming responsibly, harvesting by hand, using 100% native fermentation, and making wine with minimal intervention. Our unwavering commitment to crafting distinctive wines that capture the spirit of the Sonoma Coast has been the bedrock of our success, and it will continue to drive us forward for years to come.
Perched on top of soaring coastal ridges that border the nearby Pacific Ocean, our estate vineyards, Camp Meeting Ridge and Sea View Ridge, rise to impressive elevations from 1,150 to 1,875 feet. Flowers resides in the Fort Ross-Seaview American Viticulture Area (AVA), which was established in 2012 and located on the extreme western edge of the Sonoma Coast Appellation. Defined by elevation, rugged terrain and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, vineyard plantings are limited to 920-1,800+ft above sea level and are only 2% of the total AVA acreage.
The Pacific Ocean is less than two miles from the vineyards, generating cooling sea breezes and coastal fog while the soaring elevations ensure abundant sunshine for a long, slow growing season. Together they create an ideal environment for elegant and nuanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.