Marimar Estate Chardonnay Don Miguel Vineyard Russian River Valley 2024

96 Points, Decanter – 95 Points, James Suckling – 94 Points (Editors’ Choice), Wine Enthusiast

This was a gorgeous Chardonnay that caught me by surprise last week. Admittedly, I didn’t know much about the winery, but sometimes that’s the best way to taste, without any preconceived notions to get in the way. The nose was decadent and rich, with juicy notes of tropical fruit, peaches, candied lemon and citrus. But the first sip is where this knocks you out. It was like a dead ringer for one of Dave Ramey’s Chardonnay. You definitely get a little oak, especially up front (it’s young), but behind it is super vibrant, crystal clear notes of lemon, mango, papaya with even a little spice at the end. This is a knockout single-vineyard bottling. No surprise it got treated to a hit parade of big scores. This is delicious and will be a huge hit amongst the Nicholas Wines faithful.