We have nothing against Rombauer. Honestly, we adore some of their wines. However, if given a choice between their Chardonnay and today’s brilliant Bucher 2014 Rio Oro Russian River Valley Sonoma County Chardonnay, we’d pocket the difference and buy the Bucher! Today’s 94 pointer is a steal!

This Chardonnay is a pale gold with a beautiful jade tinge and excellent clarity. You’ll find a clean and varietally-correct nose full of apple, sur-lees quality, honeycomb, saffron, and marmalade. The wine has a nicely balanced flavor profile with tropical fruit notes of guava complimenting the stone fruit of peach and apricot with a more crisp apple backbone. An exceptionally well-balanced wine with the butter, oak, and bright acid all held together in harmony. Throw in a sensuous mouthfeel with a smooth finish and you’ve got the whole package. You can’t ask for much better than a top-notch Chardonnay and crab chowder with a sourdough bread bowl.

The Bucher Vineyard is located about 1.5 miles north of the Williams Selyem winemaking facility on Westside Road, in Healdsburg, California. The vineyard is comprised of 38 acres of sustainably-farmed grapes, 36 acres of Pinot Noir on 14 distinct blocks and 2 acres of Chardonnay. Today’s Pinot was made from the vineyard’s finest grapes from select vineyard blocks.

Bucher Vineyards has been a designated vineyard for Williams Selyem since 1999. A quick search for Selyem’s Bucher Vineyard reveals that Bucher designated bottles are selling for between $100 and $250. If you can actually find any for sale!. Today’s wine can be had for a song.

.

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

94 points - Pinotfile, 12-25-16

90 points - Purely Domestic Wine Report, 3-17

4 Stars - Wines of the Week, The Press Democrat, 10-11-16

Double Gold Medal - 2016 American Fine Wine Competition