Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Lauren combines the prestige of the vineyard site with the purity of clonal expression. Remarkable aromatics of apple galette, shaved almond, and white peach interlace with compelling notes of sea air, crushed stone, and matcha green tea. The palate leads with a nectar of orchard fruits complemented by a beautifully balanced acidity. The vieilles vignes of this vineyard give the wine stunning persistence and concentration, which will enhance with extended cellaring. The wine is slightly hazy showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 80% new French oak is just barely noticeable in the 2020 Chardonnay Lauren Estate, revealed in the hints of pencil shavings that accent white peach and pineapple—there's tremendous fruit intensity here. Full-bodied and powerful, this blend of four heirloom selections remains exceptionally zesty, clean and fresh, with great length seamlessly allied to considerable richness. For now, I give a slight nod to the 2021 vintage, but this is a similarly terrific wine. Best After 2022.
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Wine Spectator
A stunning white wine, with salted butterscotch, marzipan and grilled peach notes up front, plus hints of nutmeg, toasted green tea and lemon thyme. Generous, intense but also elegant, with a light touch to the fresh acidity that weaves in and out on the long, expressive finish. Drink now.
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 vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.