Ledson, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Baldocchi Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 ($58)

Butterscotch aromas are powerful when sniffed at the rim of the glass, which may have you dismissing the wine before tasting, which in turn would deprive you of a top example of this style of Chardonnay. This is not a butter and oak bomb. Though bold and ripe, it shows racy acidity that makes the butterscotch and well folded oak toast sing in harmony and hang around a while in the finish. This is very well executed.
94 Rich Cook