Critic ratings
robert_parker
2018
Rating:
94
–94
Cloudburst's 2018 Chardonnay was fermented and aged in 50% new French oak, but you'd hardly know it from tasting the wine. Gentle toast and crème brûlée aromas appear on the nose alongside intense pineapple and white peach notes, while the medium to full-bodied palate is plump and silky in feel, with a long, mouthwatering finish. Impeccably balanced, with barely noticeable oak, it can be drunk anytime over the next 5-6 years.
robert_parker
2013
Rating:
95
–95
Slightly closed at this youthful stage, the 2013 Cloudburst Chardonnay opens with lemon juice, chalk dust and lime peel aromas with faint butterscotch, powdered ginger and Marmite hints. The medium-bodied palate delivers wonderful tension and mouth-filling citrus and stony flavors with a silken texture and a long finish that builds in savory complexity.
robert_parker
2011
Rating:
92
–92
The 2011 Cloudburst Chardonnay reveals youthfully subdued honey-nut characters over a core of apple tart, peach cobbler and allspice with touches of crushed stones and yeast extract. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly knit but packs in fruit that is interlaced with nut, toasty oak and mineral characters, is enlivened with refreshing acidity and concludes with great length on the finish. It will benefit from another year in bottle and drink from 2014 to 2019+.
Imported by Cloudburst Wines LLC.; info@cloudburstwines.com
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
93
–93
The 2010 Cloudburst Chardonnay opens with lovely wild yeast, toasty and mealy aromas swirling over a core of apricots, green mango, cashews and preserved ginger. Showing just the slightest suggestion of evolution, the medium to full-bodied palate gives incredible layers of ripe, tropical flavors that are nicely complimented by a judicious use of oak and a savory yeastiness. The satin-textured stone fruit and nut elements linger long into the finish. Not cheap but certainly a treat for Chardonnay lovers! Drink it now to 2017+.
Imported by Cloudburst Wines LLC.; info@cloudburstwines.com
vinous
2020
Rating:
96
–96
This decadently delicious 2020 Chardonnay immediately impresses with explosive aromas of vanilla cream, florals and just-picked nectarines with fantastic aromatic weight and volume. Packed full of marzipan, nutty oak and apricot flavours with a voluptuous texture, there is a perfectly balanced core of tangy acidity which keeps the energy high. A long, ripe and detailed finish tops what is a stunning package.
robert_parker
2014
Rating:
95
–95
The 2014 Cloudburst Chardonnay possesses lovely ginger-laced pears, allspice and apricot notes with a savory meat, toast and hazelnut undercurrent. The tightly-wound, medium-bodied palate is both elegant and intense, with an almost grainy texture and alluring minerality coming through on the very long finish.
robert_parker
2017
Rating:
93
–93
Subtle notes of toasted almonds and hazelnuts accent peach and pineapple fruit in Cloudburst's 2017 Chardonnay, the largest and ripest of the three vintages reviewed here. It's pleasantly plump and generous in the mouth, adding hints of melon and caramel while remaining dry and crisp on the lingering finish.
robert_parker
2016
Rating:
94
–94
Tighter and more restrained than Cloudburst's opulent 2017, the 2016 Chardonnay combines nutty aromas with hints of toasted brioche, then backs those up with white peaches and pineapple. It's medium-bodied, with a charming, silky texture and plenty of length on the finish. This should age effortlessly for up to a decade or so.
robert_parker
2015
Rating:
95
–95
Scents of cinnamon streusel, toasted hazelnuts and woodsmoke emerge on the nose of Cloudburst's 2015 Chardonnay. But this is beautifully balanced on the palate. It's plump and medium-bodied, with an appealingly rich, creamy texture and plenty of refreshing, mouthwatering length, backed by hints of pear, melon, white peach and pineapple.
robert_parker
2012
Rating:
93
–93
The nose on the 2012 Cloudburst Chardonnay explodes with classic stone fruit and citrus notes accented by distinctive warm peach, grapefruit and orange blossom scents plus toasty oak, sulfide, roasted nut and honeycomb hints. The medium to full-bodied palate has lovely phenolic and viscous textural elements complimented with tons of yeasty, peachy flavor layers, lively acid and a finish with great length. Drink it now to 2020+.
Imported by Cloudburst Wines, LLC, Portsmouth, NH; www.cloudburstwines.com