2023 Long Shadows Dance Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes
Beautifully aromatic, the 2023 Dance Chardonnay opens with bright notes of star fruit, white peach, and a hint of citrus blossom. The palate is textured and refined, balancing crisp green apple and stone fruit with a thread of minerality. A touch of baking spice and fresh brioche adds complexity, while vibrant acidity lifts the wine, carrying the fruit through a long, polished finish.

Winemaker Gilles Nicault has experimented with Chardonnay since the beginning of the Long Shadows collaboration to perfect a proprietary fermentation process and style found in this wonderfully expressive wine.

Vineyards
The 2024 Dance Chardonnay is sourced primarily from French Creek Vineyard in the Yakima Valley and Gamache Vineyard in the White Bluffs AVA, two sites that beautifully complement one another. French Creek contributes vibrant citrus, refined acidity, and mineral-driven elegance, while Gamache adds generous stone fruit, texture, and richness. Together, these vineyards express the balance, freshness, and complexity that define Washington Chardonnay.

Professional Ratings
93 - James Suckling
Nicely balanced with fresh acidity and a pleasing mouthfeel. Light- to medium-bodied, snappy and crunchy, showing flavors of green apples, limes and yuzu alongside some delicate white-flower notes. A bit of spice in the finish.

93 - Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Dance is savory and sweet. A blend of white flowers and peach is complicated by nuances of crushed stone and citrus zest. It's deeply textural and nearly weighty, with lemon-inflected orchard fruits and crisp mineral tones. The 2023 finishes long yet fresh and clean, leaving a subtle saline tinge that keeps the mouth watering for more.

92 - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Chardonnay Dance was matured for 17 months in 33% new French oak. It has savory scents of pastry, honey and baking spice over a core of baked apples and peaches. The full-bodied palate has a silky texture and pleasantly ripe, spicy flavors. It’s balanced by mouthwatering acidity and has a long, creamy finish.