95 Points -
"From Russian River Valley, the 2023 Chardonnay Jennifer's Vineyard is a bright golden/yellow color and offers ripe notes of dark wet stones, grilled pineapples, baking spice, honeyed citrus, and candied ginger. The full-bodied palate delivers persistent driving tension and acidity, with the power you expect to see from the rich ripeness of the Russian River Valley but the tension and acidity from cooler sites. It has a powerful feel and is built to last over the coming 10-12 years." - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com, July 2025
Tasting Notes
Jennifer's Chardonnay shows the pedigree of its cool climate with aromatics of mandarin, pink grapefruit, mango and cool climate salinity. The wine has great weight and concentration, with interplay between the minerality and tension of the cool climate and the fruit intensity of the old Wente selection. Flavors of bright citrus and baked pineapple play off the subtle barrel influence and acidity, giving the wine great length and complexity.
Historic Acclaim
2022: 97 Points, L.P-B, The Wine Independent, April 2024
2022: 94 Points, Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com, June 2024
2021: 95 Points Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, July 2023
2019: 98 Points Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, August 2022
2019: 96 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate, July 2022
2018: 97 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate, February 2021
2017: 99 Points Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, May 2020
2017: 97 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate, February 2020
2016: 97+ Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate, October 2018
2016: 96-98+ Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate, December 2017
2015: 93-95 Points, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, October 2016
2015: 92-94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2017
2013: 91-93 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2015
Vineyard & Vintage Character
Jennifer's Chardonnay is named in honor of co-proprietor Jennifer Hartford. This wine is defined by its power, concentration of fruit, structure and an underlying elegance. Jennifer's Chardonnay is sourced from a vineyard in the windy and very cool Sebastopol Hills neighborhood of the Russian River Valley AVA. The block was planted to old Wente selection Chardonnay in 2005. We now have a sense of the place and the wine it can produce and are very excited to share it with everyone.
Wine Details
Oak: 100% French oak: 25% new
Time in Oak: 13 months
Yeast: Native
TA: 8.08 g/L
pH: 3.19
Alcohol: 14.1%
Cases Produced: 270