2022 Jonive "Moon Dust Vineyard" Russian River Valley Chardonnay

The 2022 Chardonnay Moon Dust is a wild, exotic wine. Apricot, honey, dried herbs, tangerine oil, passion fruit and white pepper lend quite a bit of flair. This rich, layered Chardonnay is long on character. (AG)

The Jonive Chardonnay is pretty close to my perfect bottle of Chardonnay. If you’ve read my reviews before, you probably know exactly what’s coming next: richness and restraint. This wine absolutely nails that balance, combining beautifully textured, ripe, powerful fruit with electric acidity, struck-flint minerality, and wonderful vibrancy and length on the palate. The magic here is really threefold: the significant diurnal temperature swing, which helps concentrate the fruit while preserving natural acidity; the mature vines, which seem to convey a remarkable sense of place; and the pure Goldridge soils, with their ideal balance of water-holding capacity and moderate fertility for naturally balanced vines. Okay, maybe it’s fourfold, because there’s also some seriously dialed-in winemaking from seasoned veteran Vance Rose. All in all, this is a beautiful bottle of Chardonnay, powerful yet precise, richly textured yet energetic, and it drinks exceptionally well right now. At this price, it’s an absolute steal.