ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - " I consider the Tyler Chardonnays among the best in the region, strongly bearing the influence of Jean-Marc Roulot and Dominique Lafon through a finely tuned noble reduction and crystalline nature, while also referencing Vincent Dauvissat through fermentation in tank followed by maturation in barrel for the regional wines. After gently crushing a portion of berries, the fruit is whole-cluster pressed, allowing the juice to oxidize and settle overnight while retaining as many fine solids as possible. Fermentation occurs via native yeasts and undergoes full malolactic conversion before 10–11 months of élevage in 15% to 25% new wood from François Frères and Damy. The wines do not undergo bâtonnage, and Willett's preference is for 228-liter barrels due to their cooler fermentation temperatures, a change from the earlier use of 500-liter barrels. Maturation is completed after six to nine months in stainless steel tanks, followed by light filtration before bottling."
"The 2023 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard opens with aromas of golden apple, white chocolate, fennel and citrus rind, delivered with the omnipresent combination of class and restraint that defines the site. The palate is dense, supple and concentrated, before springing into a driving, prescient finish grounded by a waxy richness and a phenolic grip. While the La Rinconada bottling offers a touch more intensity and invigorating energy in this vintage, this is one of the most definitive renderings of the vineyard, and it should evolve fantastically in bottle."
"The 2023 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard opens with aromas of golden apple, white chocolate, fennel and citrus rind, delivered with the omnipresent combination of class and restraint that defines the site. The palate is dense, supple and concentrated, before springing into a driving, prescient finish grounded by a waxy richness and a phenolic grip. While the La Rinconada bottling offers a touch more intensity and invigorating energy in this vintage, this is one of the most definitive renderings of the vineyard, and it should evolve fantastically in bottle."
