2024 Martin Ray 'Concrete' Chardonnay Russian River Valley
A wildly expressive, cool-climate Chardonnay! Martin Ray eschews the use of oak with this wine in favor of 476-gallon egg-shaped concrete tanks from Sonoma Cast Stone that keep the lees in suspension. This results in a more complex and fuller mouthfeel. All the bright notes of Asian pear, Meyer lemon, and a delicate apple blossom aroma, without any of the oak notes to mask the terroir.
The palate is both vibrant and textured, revealing flavors of underripe honeydew, lemon curd, and a savory, oyster shell minerality. This is a compelling Chardonnay that demands another glass.
Wine Enthusiast
There's a clean freshness and lightness to the nose of this concrete aged Chardonnay, with aromas of pineapple, Meyer lemon, fresh ginger, and white flowers swirling from the glass. The palate shows beautifully focused texture and flavors of pithy lemon, apple blossom, spiced pear, and stony minerality, with mouthwatering acid that powers the finish.