Lot 11 2023 Russian River Valley Chardonnay 750ml
Get your fingers ready Russian River Chardonnay fans! Lot 11 is the wine you have been waiting for!
Sourced from a compendium of 3 different grand cru Russian River Valley vineyards (let's just say in the same league as Ritchie Vineyard), Lot 11 2023 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is a seriously sophisticated but decidedly delicious Chardonnay.
Here's the scoop, backed up with 2021 and 2022 vintage, the producer (from whom I have been buying for years) combined a few barrels from each of their $70-$80/bottle single vineyard designates into one blend for me. I paid about 50% over market for the privilege but I was happy to do so, the wine is incredible and still a mind-blowing value. If you love Russian River Valley Chardonnay, this is probably the best Chardonnay I have offered from this region.
Barrel-fermented in new french oak and them aged in a combination of one-year old and neutral barrels, the picture perfect 2023 vintage offers us an opulent, beautifully balanced (if not downright elegant), Chardonnay with chalky acidity carrying a melange of ripe orchard and tropical fruit with beautifully integrated oak. I should note, the producer sells their entry level Russian River Chardonnay for $50-$60/bottle and recently awarded a 93-point score in the Wine Enthusiast.
This is better juice here folks, all for just $15/bottle!
Chardonnay lovers, it is time to Back Up The Truck!
Light golden in the glass, it offers an opulent-yet-energetic bouquet with a harmonious melange of spicy apple, pear, orange blossom, and apricot complexed with aromas of fresh churned butter and a creme brulee halo. Supple and succulent on entry, it delivers a seamless panoply of orchard fruit astride zesty, chalky acidity that unfurls a whirlwind of pear, mango and orangesicle finishing with papaya and marzipan retronasals in a long, sustained, creamy-yet-vibrant, finish. Beautifully integrated and harmonious, this gorgeous, classic Russian River Valley Chardonnay deftly balances an opulent deliciousness with energy and verve.
100% Russian River Valley
100% Chardonnay
Bottled May 27th, 2025
200 cases produced
13.8% alc.
Bottled June 10, 2025
Food Pairings:
- Grilled lemon chicken
- Herb-roasted salmon
- Creamy mushroom risotto
- Russian chicken kiev
- Baked apple pork
- Apricot glazed duck
- Smoked salmon blinis
- Cheese-stuffed mushrooms
- Pear and brie bites
- Russian potato pancakes
- Melon prosciutto skewers
- Lemon herb shrimp
Tastry Category Score: 117
The Tastry Category Score (“TCS”) represents the “quality-to-price-ratio” or perceived quality of a wine relative to its competitive category.
A score of 100 is average, and the further above 100 the TCS is, the more the wine is over-performing the category. The further below, the more it is under-preforming the category.
Tastry Flavor Profile:
Pairs well with
Lot 11 2023 Russian River Valley Chardonnay 750ml