2013 Chardonnay Carneros Red Shoulder Ranch

The Chardonnay program from Shafer includes the Red Shoulder Ranch, which is aged 14 months in 75% new French oak and 25% in stainless steel. The 2013 yields wonderfully crisp, rich white peach, honeysuckle and pineapple as well as some crushed rock and floral notes. Medium to full-bodied, it has great acidity and a nice integration of subtle oak. Drink it over the next several years.

The 2013 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch is gorgeous. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint and chamomile meld together in a layered, beautifully expressive Chardonnay endowed with real class and personality. A kick of acidity on the finish keeps the flavors bright and focused throughout. This is a fabulous effort from Shafer. Most of the attention at Shafer falls on the Cabernets, and perhaps rightly so, but the estate has done a commendable job with the Chardonnay in recent years.

Shafer's 2013 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch is quite suave and silky on the palate, with a bit more creaminess and textural depth than the 2012. Citrus, white flowers, mint and smoke are all layered into the super-expressive finish. Winemaker Elias Fernandez adds that yields were a bit more generous in 2013, although conditions were cooler.