Cloudsley Chardonnay 2023 Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 91/100

Cloudsley's Chardonnay from the Twenty Mile Bench on the Niagara Escarpment is a beautifully composed, full-bodied Ontario white sourced from the celebrated Wingfield and Foxcroft vineyards, wild-fermented and aged for 18 months in French oak to build a wine of genuine depth and textural richness. The nose draws you in with elegant aromas of honeyed quince, white nectarine, and dried chamomile, underscored by a cool, chalk-dust minerality and a breath of warm pastry, while the palate delivers a lush, almost weightless creaminess threaded with flavours of ripe greengage plum, candied grapefruit peel, and a lingering, smoky flint that stretches through a remarkably long finish. Winemaker Thomas Bachelder, whose meticulous, terroir-focused approach has earned Cloudsley a devoted following among Ontario Chardonnay enthusiasts, draws on the unique limestone and clay soils of the Twenty Mile Bench to craft whites that rival the complexity of fine Burgundy. This wine is best served slightly below room temperature and will reward cellaring through 2032, continuing to knit together its oak and fruit into something truly seamless. Pair it with a butter-poached lobster tail finished with tarragon and capers, where the wine's silky texture and mineral backbone elevate every luxurious bite, or serve it alongside a pan-seared halibut with roasted fennel and a light cream sauce, letting the wine's bright acidity and stone fruit richness bring the whole dish into focus.

Chardonnay food pairings: lobster in butter sauce, grilled fish, chicken.

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This Cloudsley Chardonnay 2023 was reviewed on April 28, 2026 by Natalie MacLean

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Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.

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