93 Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2014 Chardonnay The North Slope comes from sandy, rich and fertile Goldridge soils. This wine exhibits plenty of honeyed brioche, with a greenish hue to its light-gold color, followed by notes of buttery hazelnuts, poached pear, pineapple and citrus oil. This is French in style as well, but with an almost lavish richness like a top-flight French Bâtard-Montrachet. It should drink well for 5-6 years.

Some of the best values in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir emerge from Stephen Hansel’s winery in the Russian River Valley. Hansel reduced the crop size by 20%-30% through crop thinning in 2014 because of irregular berry size and improved the level of concentration. All of the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are bottled unfiltered."