2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay, Coombsville, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Milady 2023 is made in Yannickâs preferred Burgundian style, balancing the superb, succulent fruit with the freshness that the Coombsville appellation (one of the two coldest Napa Valley AVA) has to offer. A provocative, lively nose with aromas of litchi, ripe Anjou pear, zesty lemon meringue, and a veil of jasmine with perfectly polished French oak suggests a wine that is lavish, yet invigorating. On the palate, the flavors are intricately layered with complexity and complemented by notes of lightly toasted hazelnuts. This radiant and shapely Chardonnay is a lovely centerpiece to every festive feast and gathering this holiday season and beyond. Like other vintages before her, Milady will age elegantlyâŠas any self-respecting noblewoman would! Drink now to 2032.
The Vineyard
Vineyard: Coombsville AVA in south-east Napa Valley, 35-year-old vines. Organically farmed. Hand-harvested grapes.
Winemaking
Whole cluster pressing
Native yeasts fermentation in 25% new French oak + 75% neutral oak barrels.
NO malo-lactic fermentation.
Aged on lees for 11 months with stirring for the first 3 months.
Specs
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Chardonnay
Appellation: Coombsville, Napa Valley
Alcohol: 13.9%
Production: 245 cases
Whatâs Included
3-bottles:
3x 2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay, Coombsville, Napa Valley Case:
12x 2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay, Coombsville, Napa Valley
Y. Rousseau Wines is a dream that began long ago in the South-West of France and continues to grow and evolve today. Yannick Rousseau, French native, founder and winemaker, followed his heart and passion for winemaking all the way to Napa Valley where he met his Texan-born wife, Susan. The two of them bring their combined entrepreneurial savvy to embrace the ebbs and flows of running a family winery with the legacy of their racines, hospitable style, and discriminating artisanship.
Yannickâs reputation has been made not by following in anyoneâs particular footsteps but rather by taking what he has learned from great mavericks and integrating it into what he discovers to be true. His history of working with grape varietals from the Southwest of France is well known. Now, he carries forward his winemaking mission, still embracing Colombard, Tannat, and other favored varietals and blending them to create revived, and even edge-bending wines.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay
3 bottles for $69.99 $23.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Looking forward to the review(s) - Weâve enjoyed the Rousseau wines - encouraged by the lack of the term âbutteryâ. We appreciate the old-world style chardonnays, hope this fits the bill.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay - $80 = 28.56%
I received this bottle on Wednesday and put it in the fridge for a few hours before tasting. Iâm a big fan of unoaked Chardonnay but also like Chardonnay thatâs not super buttery and heavily oaked. This fit the bill.
The first glass was poured straight out of the fridge and colder than it should be. The wine is a light straw color without much nose when too cold. The first sip was tart lemon and oak. Needs to sit a bit. As it warmed I smelled some pear and maybe pineapple. The taste was more green apple and a lighter lemon with less oak.
On day 2 I actually enjoyed the wine much more. The taste was of pineapple and a lighter lemon/citrus taste. The oak is still there but by no means overpowering. I feel the acidity is perfect. This is a nice wine and would be wonderful in the summer. Thanks all at WCC for sending this bottle my way!
Received this bottle late Wednesday, and threw it in the wine fridge for dinner the next day. I am more of a red drinker, and a fan of the big bold, buttery Chardonnay. This is not one of those.
The wine is pale in color, PNP from the from the fridge, not much nose, first sip was lemon, tart, maybe some honeysuckle. Seemed tight. Put a glass on the counter and went to grill some chicken to go with Caesar salads and baked potatoes.
I actually enjoyed the wine much more with food. As it warmed there was pear on the nose; the chicken and Caesar paired well, and the wine gained more depth with lemon and green apple coming out on the palette. There is a touch of oak, in a good way, and in no way overpowering.
This would be a great wine for summer evenings to drink on its own, but also would benefit from being served alongside a nice meal.
Thanks for the opportunity to rat!
@yannickrousseau
I have to confess here I was not at all a fan of your 2017 Colombard and after a single bottle gave the rest away. That one just wasnât in my wheelhouse at all.
Please tell me why I will like this offer, as Iâm tempted. I have a pretty wide spectrum of Chard in the cellar, both oaked and unoaked, but do generally shy away from the buttery ones.
Thanks for coming back to visit on a Friday with the offer!
@rjquillin Thank you for your feedback. Can you you remember what you didnât appreciate about our 2017 Colombard? I am very interested. That wine was our best selling Colombard with the 2010, 2016 and 2020.
This 2023 Milady Chardonnay is traditionnally made Chardonnay meaning that I let the vineyard and wine speak for themselves especially by using native yeasts for the fermentation, lees aging to bring mouthfeel and work with the acidity. Not buttery at all yet generous and juicy. Itâs a Chardonnay that wants food. Hope youâll give it a try.
@yannickrousseau Oh rats, got dragged away for work this evening, forgot this was a 24 hr sale. Sounds like my non-buttery ideal - Any hope of still getting in for a case?
2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay, Coombsville, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
The Vineyard
Winemaking
Specs
Whatâs Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$540.00/Case for 12x 2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay, Coombsville, Napa Valley at Y Rousseau Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 12 - Tuesday, May 13
2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay
3 bottles for $69.99 $23.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Sounds delicious. Are we expecting rats??
Looking forward to the review(s) - Weâve enjoyed the Rousseau wines - encouraged by the lack of the term âbutteryâ. We appreciate the old-world style chardonnays, hope this fits the bill.
@stolicat Whenever we get a shipment of âNo Oakâ chardonnay weâre happy campers for exactly the lack of âbutteryâ!
@acer @stolicat
Not sure oak and butter are mutually exclusive; the butter seems more closely associated with malo or not, which is independent of oak.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Y. Rousseau. Milady Chardonnay - $80 = 28.56%
I received this bottle on Wednesday and put it in the fridge for a few hours before tasting. Iâm a big fan of unoaked Chardonnay but also like Chardonnay thatâs not super buttery and heavily oaked. This fit the bill.
The first glass was poured straight out of the fridge and colder than it should be. The wine is a light straw color without much nose when too cold. The first sip was tart lemon and oak. Needs to sit a bit. As it warmed I smelled some pear and maybe pineapple. The taste was more green apple and a lighter lemon with less oak.
On day 2 I actually enjoyed the wine much more. The taste was of pineapple and a lighter lemon/citrus taste. The oak is still there but by no means overpowering. I feel the acidity is perfect. This is a nice wine and would be wonderful in the summer. Thanks all at WCC for sending this bottle my way!
Received this bottle late Wednesday, and threw it in the wine fridge for dinner the next day. I am more of a red drinker, and a fan of the big bold, buttery Chardonnay. This is not one of those.
The wine is pale in color, PNP from the from the fridge, not much nose, first sip was lemon, tart, maybe some honeysuckle. Seemed tight. Put a glass on the counter and went to grill some chicken to go with Caesar salads and baked potatoes.
I actually enjoyed the wine much more with food. As it warmed there was pear on the nose; the chicken and Caesar paired well, and the wine gained more depth with lemon and green apple coming out on the palette. There is a touch of oak, in a good way, and in no way overpowering.
This would be a great wine for summer evenings to drink on its own, but also would benefit from being served alongside a nice meal.
Thanks for the opportunity to rat!
Very good point: this Milady Chardonnay should not be enjoyed too cold. It will show much more layers after warming up for a few minutes.
@yannickrousseau
I have to confess here I was not at all a fan of your 2017 Colombard and after a single bottle gave the rest away. That one just wasnât in my wheelhouse at all.
Please tell me why I will like this offer, as Iâm tempted. I have a pretty wide spectrum of Chard in the cellar, both oaked and unoaked, but do generally shy away from the buttery ones.
Thanks for coming back to visit on a Friday with the offer!
@rjquillin Thank you for your feedback. Can you you remember what you didnât appreciate about our 2017 Colombard? I am very interested. That wine was our best selling Colombard with the 2010, 2016 and 2020.
This 2023 Milady Chardonnay is traditionnally made Chardonnay meaning that I let the vineyard and wine speak for themselves especially by using native yeasts for the fermentation, lees aging to bring mouthfeel and work with the acidity. Not buttery at all yet generous and juicy. Itâs a Chardonnay that wants food. Hope youâll give it a try.
@yannickrousseau
I must apologize, looking back at my notes, it was the '12 vintage, not the '17.
I know Iâm in the minority here, as many have thoroughly enjoyed that bottle. My notes were brief: Reminded me of '70âs jug wine.
That is the only offer from you I have not enjoyedâŠ
/giphy bright-festive-haircut
Enjoy the Tannat, Iâll try this.
/giphy wobbly-judicious-cyclops
@yannickrousseau Oh rats, got dragged away for work this evening, forgot this was a 24 hr sale. Sounds like my non-buttery ideal - Any hope of still getting in for a case?