Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
2012 won high praise from vintners even before harvest began, and, if we still see Chardonnay as something of a mixed bag in the vintage, this absolutely delectable offering hits all the right fruity marks and then goes several steps more. It is deep in very precise, optimally ripened appley fruit, and it is decked out with plenty of sweet oak, and, if still a bit ragged around the edges, it is nicely balanced and is waiting to grow. It will need another year in which to better knit together, but it should improve for several more, and it gets thumbs up for fine value.
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.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.