2023 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Chardonnay (Arroyo Seco)

The 2023 Chardonnay Arroyo Vista has a sweet, ripe, tropical nose of peach, golden mango and toasty vanilla. It’s certainly forward in style, but the oak is notably well integrated, balanced by cool-toned acids and a gentle but persistent grip. For a wine at this scale of production (11,000 cases) and reasonable price point ($25), there’s a good bit of nuance and a surprisingly bright, long finish.