2023 Stock Ranch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Notes
Green-tinged to pale yellow. Juicy and expressive in its vaulted aromatics, edging up to the pretty but salty too. Sun ripened citrus and touches of herbs interwoven by the saline. A silken ribbon of palate coating stone fruits threaded by a strong line of natural acidity and a finish of other things, umami. A remarkable sophomoric effort from a place we are eager to see grow over the coming decades. Delicious.
Reviews
97
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Notes of spiced apples, lemon tart, and persimmons jump from the glass of the 2023 Chardonnay Stock Ranch, plus wafts of salted almonds and honeysuckle. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers impactful orchard fruit and savory layers with a racy line and satiny texture, finishing on a lingering saline note.
97
Jim Gordon
Plenty of ripeness, richness and creaminess to match the brilliant lemon flavors in this full-bodied wine. Lemon zest, key lime pie, creme brulee and tangerine flavors make for a vibrant palate backed by fresh acidity. So pure and vivid to taste. Only the second vintage for this, the most coastal of their vineyards. Drink or hold.
96
Audrey Frick
A bright yellow hue, the 2023 Chardonnay Stock Ranch is from the Sonoma Coast and leads with savory notes of broth, saline, beeswax, citrus pith, and toasted spices. It’s a salty and fresh wine with a clean, zesty, bright spine of acidity and a more full-bodied, rounded feel floating underneath. Drink 2026-2036.
95
Antonio Galloni
The 2023 Chardonnay Stock Ranch is once again very pretty and expressive. In this cool, late-ripening vintage, Stock Ranch might not be the most favored site in the lineup. Citrus peel, chalk, slate, mint and dried herbs are all laced together. I especially admire the wine's energy, even if the overall impression is of a rather lithe, nervy Chardonnay that very much reflects the style of a year marked by fog, cold weather and a long, extended harvest.
96
Erin Brooks
The 2023 Chardonnay Stock Ranch comes from a site Kistler first planted in 2016. Located on a ridge at 800 feet above the Bohemian Highway just north of the town of Occidental, it's influenced by both heat from Sonoma Valley and fog and coastal breezes from the Pacific Ocean. This second iteration is expressive and energetic. It bursts from the glass with pure scents of lime peel, saline and oystershell, and as it warms in the glass, it reveals wafts of quince paste and honey. The palate is just as singular, offering unparalleled concentration and tremendous floral perfume. Taut, linear acidity provides an effortless balance, and it has a hauntingly long finish.