Winemaker Notes
Creamy lemon and chamomile mingle on the nose with nectarine and toasted almond. Ripe grapefruit first appears on the palate with a burst of mouthwatering acidity. The citrus notes continue to develop throughout an unctuous, round mid-palate with notes of stone fruits as layers of grilled pineapple and white pepper culminate throughout the signature, lengthy finish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Bright straw-yellow. Rather wild scents of peach pit, strawberry, lime peel, hazelnut and musky lees. Rich and dense on entry, then concentrated and saline in the middle palate, with a melting umami quality that reminded me a bit of sake. Holds its shape and energy nicely through a subtly long, savory aftertaste. A very sophisticated, classically dry, youthful Chardonnay with a bright future.
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Wine Enthusiast
The aromas offer notes of burnt toast, pumpkin and peach, with the oak not having fully integrated yet. There's a lovely balance and texture to the reserved but still full-feeling fruit flavors. Toast notes linger on the finish. Give it a few years in the cellar to see it at its best.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Chardonnay is all Chardonnay that was brought up in 40% new French oak (with a small amount in concrete) and 50% of the blend going through malolactic fermentation. It offers lots of orchard fruits and brioche as well as a subtle background oak, medium-bodied richness, and good overall balance. It should drink nicely for 3-5 years, if not longer, given its concentration and balance.
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James Suckling
A medium-to full-bodied white with aromas of dried pineapple, apple pie, nutmeg and vanilla. Crisp with a richly spiced and toasted finish.
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.
An important winegrowing state increasingly recognized for its high-quality reds and whites, Washington ranks second in production in the U.S. after California. Washington wines continue to gain well-deserved popularity as they garner higher and higher praise from critics and consumers alike.
Washington winemakers draw inspiration mainly from Napa Valley, Bordeaux and the Rhône as well as increasingly from other regions like Spain and Italy. Most viticulture takes place on the eastern side of the state—an arid desert in the rain shadow of the Cascade mountains. Irrigation is made possible by the Columbia River. Temperatures are extreme, with hot and dry summers and cold winters, during which frost can be a risk.
Washington’s wine industry was initially built on Merlot, which remains an important variety to this day, despite having been overtaken in acreage planted by Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Bordeaux blends and Rhône blends are common as well as single varietal bottlings. Washington reds tend to express a real purity of concentrated fruit. The best examples have a bold richness, seamless texture, plush or powdery tannins and flavors such as licorice, herb, forest floor, espresso and dark chocolate.
In terms of white wine from Washington state, Riesling is the state’s major success story, producing crisp, aromatic examples with plenty of stone fruit that range from bone dry to lusciously sweet. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc perform nicely here as well, and Viognier is beginning to pick up steam.