Winemaker Notes
Lively aromas of citrus, orange blossom with hints of tropical fruit and butterscotch. On the palate, this wine is full-bodied with a silky, smooth mouthfeel and balanced acidity. Flavors of lemon, pineapple and pear, combined with delicate butter notes and creamy minerality, lead to an elegant long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
What starts off heady and rich becomes, with air, flavorful and fresh. This wine leads with a broad expression of apple blossom, delicate in the context of the rich flavors, then the finish is lifted and windswept.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.