Dog Point Marlborough Chardonnay 2023

96 POINTS: Heiner Lobenberg
96 POINTS: Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
5 STARS: Michael Cooper

13% Abv

“The taste of Dog Point Chardonnay lies between Pouilly-Fuissé and Mâcon. Delicate, bright lemon yellow. Freshly poured, the intense minerality explodes out of the glass in the form of perfectly skillful reduction! A rich essence of flint and fresh rock flour on delicate yellow stone fruit. Juicy ripe nectarines, mirabelle plums, red and yellow apples and just ripe, fragrant Alphonso mango. A hint of cigar box, some clove and vanilla, as well as spicy yeast dough betray the wood maturation. Over time, very delicate, fragrant jasmine and camomile blossoms develop. Cardamom brioche, nutmeg and just a hint of spicy Assam tea and long pepper make this wine wonderfully complex. Overall, an aromatic interplay of mineral reduction, ripe fruit and sweet spice. The wine hits the tongue with a crisp, citrusy tension. Salty lemon and fresh lemon juice surf through the mouth with their lively acidity and are tamed in the very next moment by sweet vanilla, creamy yeast and white pepper and a little cinnamon. In the mouth, the wood finish is more pronounced than on the nose. The sweet, creamy spiciness of the barriques with passion fruit and ripe mango, some pineapple and white honey as well as a harmonious, salty, straightforward freshness linger on the tongue. A chic all-rounder that, like everything from Dog Point , has the potential to age for several years in the cellar.”
— 96 Points, Heiner Lobenberg

“The 2023 Chardonnay is incredibly tightly coiled and mineral on the nose, with white flowers, crushed shells, wet chalk and white pepper. This is overwhelming 'white' in character, and I love it. The saline, mineral aspect of it is highly attractive to me, and as it unfolds like an origami paper crane through the finish, it shows precision and finesse in equal measure. While 2022 may have been a challenging vintage in the vineyard, they saw none of that it in the 2023 season. This is sapid and penetrating in its quiet way. Wow. Sealed under screw cap.”
— 96 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate