Rivers-Marie 'Bearwallow' Chardonnay 2023 - 750ml

92pts Vinous

The 2023 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard is soft, open-knit and quite attractive. making it a fine choice to drink in the next handful of years. Light tropical inflections, white fruit, mint, acacia and light honeyed notes all race across the palate. Brisk acids pull it altogether on the close.

Winemaker Notes

The epitome of meticulous farming is what always comes to mind first when I think of Bearwallow. This deep end Anderson Valley site has been a part of our program since 2016 and we enjoy its different nature from all the tiny clustered Sonoma Coast vineyards that make up the majority of our program. This bottling always has a distinctive yellow fruited character complemented by a saline and roasted nut character. Our little 1.5 acre Wente clone block has matured into one of the unique coastal Chardonnays we taste every year.