Ernest Vineyards Chardonnay Joyce Vineyard 2023 (750ml) *
Product price
$74.99
Description
Cool-climate Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast, where direct coastal influence and the region's powdery Goldridge soils shape a leaner, more mineral style of the grape. This is Ernest Vineyards' 2023 bottling from the Joyce Vineyard, a marginal site ringed by redwoods and wild pennyroyal, picked late in a cold season that held the fruit on the vine into the end of October. The clusters are hard-pressed to pull more solids into the juice, then aged 20 months in puncheons (one-third new French oak) before a short rest in stainless steel to settle ahead of bottling.
Salinity announces itself first, a coastal snap on the nose before the fruit arrives. Behind it come wildflower honey, crisp apple, and Meyer lemon, notes that carry straight through onto the palate. The extended lees contact and pressing give the wine real weight and texture, but it never turns heavy; the late-picked acidity keeps everything taut and lifted. It finishes long, with a saline edge, a cooling herbal note, and a clean sense of energy that makes you want another sip.
Product Details
| Category | Wine |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Sonoma Coast |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Producer | Ernest |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Size | 750 ML |
| Subtype | Still |
Expert Reviews
There is a sense of momentum with the Joyce Chardonnay; the 2023 repeats the elegance of its past vintage but brings an even more impressive energy, thanks to a cold, late-ripening season that kept the fruit on the vine until the end of October. Grown in the region's iconic, powdery Goldridge soils with direct coastal influence, and surrounded by redwoods and wild pennyroyal, the wine’s environment clearly shows in its aromatics. A distinct saltiness hits the nose first, followed by richer notes of wildflower honey, crisp apples, and Meyer lemons that also run through the palate. This balance is a result of winemaking decisions that start with a hard press of the clusters to incorporate more solids, a move that builds a deep, physical structure and manages pH enough to hold up the acidity levels of this marginal site. The wine then spends 20 months in puncheons (one-third new French oak) before moving to stainless steel for six weeks to settle before bottling. This is a wine that has weight and texture but doesn't feel heavy, finishing with a persistent saline snap, a clean lift, and a cooling herbal edge. Truly delicious. (Decanter, November 2025)