Winemaker Notes
Intense aromas of exotic flowers, limestone minerals and toasted brioche emanate from this wine. The full-bodied palate is dense with notes of citrus peel and lemon pound cake. This Chardonnay also boasts an intriguing mineral quality, which is what we like about wines produced from the Sonoma Coast. A crisp, clean character perfectly balances the richness of the fruit, proving a seamless wine of depth. Enjoy this wine from now through 2020.
Professional Ratings
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
Get ready to welcome the new kid on the block. Anaba is a new, limited-production winery in Sonoma. It is making both Rhône and Burgundian varieties, and if this Chardonnay is an indication, Anaba will specialize in balanced, rich yet mannerly wines. This one combines a fresh apple, almost Gala apple perfume with the more complex notes of roasted grains and creme brulee, and it is both slightly oily and bright and energetic on the palate. Its finish is a touch simple and ragged at this point, but time is clearly on its side, and we would not be afraid to lay this one down for at least two or three years.
-
Wine Spectator
An elegant style, with ripe, creamy floral honeysuckle, pear and honeydew melon flavors that glide across the palate, followed by a long, full finish. Drink now through 2011.
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.