Winemaker Notes
This head-trained vineyard sits smack dab in the middle of the Russian River Valley, on the plains that make up the northwestern outskirts of Santa Rosa. The faded brown soils, known as Huichica loam, offer an excellent mix of low fertility and rapid drainage. Most notable about the site, however, is the age of the vines: we don’t know the exact age, but the best indication is that they were planted in the early 1940s, making it some of the oldest producing Chardonnay in the state.
The wine has notes of Asian pear skin, lanolin, and sweetgrass. With air and a little warmth, notes of pungent gooseberry and white pepper emerge, tempered by soft, talcum-like sweetness. The palate opens to reveal waves of cool lemon blossom, wet slate, and a core of precise refreshing acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Matured in about 20% new French Stockinger barrels, the 2020 Chardonnay Peugh has delicate aromas of lemon peel, Greek yogurt and crushed stone. The medium-bodied palate offers much more than the nose at this stage, with generous, aromatic fruits, an expansive, satiny texture and a balance of honeyed bass tones, with top notes of tangerine and lime peel on the very long, energetic finish. It deserves another 2-3 years in bottle and will be long lived in the cellar. Best after 2022
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.