2023 J. Rochioli Chardonnay Little Hill Vineyard
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The 2023 Chardonnay Little Hill is savory and deep on the nose, with wafts of red apple, cheese rind and mushroom accented by touches of iodine, almonds and meringue. The light-bodied palate is delicately styled and pure with dynamic, floral flavors and a luxuriously satiny texture. It’s balanced by vibrant acidity and has a very long, mineral-driven finish. It should be long lived in the cellar.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2023 Chardonnay Little Hill comes from their oldest Chardonnay vineyard planted in the 1970s. The nose displays just a subtle accent of flinty reduction, with fresh apples, preserved lemon, honeyed citrus, and fresh flowers. The palate has a mouthwatering fresh acidity and a delicate, salty finish. This is one of the highlights of these whites. Drink 2025-2037. Tom Rochioli is leading his historic family winery and vineyards along with his wife Theresa and their children, Rachael (General Manager) and Ryan (Assistant Winemaker). The focus is on estate-grown expressions of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and old vine Sauvignon Blanc. Tom’s grandparents immigrated from Italy in 1911 and came to the Russian River Valley in 1938, moving to the 125-acre Fenton Acres property where the winery is today. In the 1970s and 1980s, Tom’s father Joe began selling their grapes to winemakers Davis Bynum and Williams Selyem, who produced some of the best wines in the region. It wasn’t until 1983 that Rochioli decided to produce their own wines and changed the name of the property from Fenton Acres to Rochioli Vineyards.
The 2023 Chardonnay Little Hill Estate is one of the more extroverted wines in the portfolio from a textural standpoint, and yet it remains bright, lifted and beautifully focused. The 2023 emerges from the oldest Chardonnay on the ranch, planted in 1972 by Joe Rochioli.