Cakebread Reserve Chardonnay 2023 - 750ml

93pts Jeb Dunnuck

Poached pear, lemon, honeyed white flowers, and hints of cream corn all shine in the 2023 Chardonnay Reserve, a medium-bodied, balanced Chardonnay that has a fresh, focused mouthfeel and a great finish. It's beautifully done and brings classic California fruit with class.

93pts James Suckling

Generous aromas of preserved lemons, flint, grapefruit and brioche. The palate is full-bodied with a creamy, medium-bodied mouthfeel and bright acidity, giving flavors of yellow apples, sliced pears and baking spices. Well balanced, with underlying power.

Winemaker Notes

Seductive, slightly floral aromas of creamy golden apple and honeydew melon, with complementary scents of crème brulee, yeast and mineral, preface a lush, full-bodied palate offering intense and expansive melon, peach and apple flavors accentuated by fresh, perfectly balanced acidity. The wine’s long, elegant and focused finish showcases bright, apple-y flavors with hints of citrus, mineral and oak spice. This delicious and complex Carneros Napa Valley chardonnay is enjoyable now, but will gain further complexity with another 5-7 years aging.

Ideal with salmon, swordfish, veal and light pork, bouillabaisse or cream bisques.

Vineyard Notes

The Carneros appellation is the southernmost winegrowing region in Napa Valley and boasts perfect conditions for growing Chardonnay cool, windswept, gently rolling vineyards with the kind of loamy soils that naturally control vine growth. An extended growing season here allows grapes to develop slowly, with high acidity and exquisite balance.