Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is very exotic with dried-apple and lime aromas and hints of praline and dried pineapple. Oyster-shell and marine character. Full-bodied yet lively and vivid. Explosive, bright acidity at the end. Gorgeous. September 2019 release. Rating 97-98.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from Hudson selection, Old Wente clone vines that over 20 years old and planted on the Napa side of Carneros, the 2017 Chardonnay Hudson features super intense notes of freshly squeezed lemon, lime zest, warm apricots and honeydew melon with hints of hay, paraffin wax and crushed nuts plus a waft of cinnamon toast. The full-bodied palate is very tightly wound with electric tension and has loads of citrusy accents coming through on the very, very long 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.
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.