Winemaker Notes
We have chosen a block planted with the highly regarded Wente clone of Chardonnay which is known for its small clusters of tiny grapes. This clone, along with the highest quality farming practices, provides us with a very intense wine exhibiting the finest quality aromas and flavors.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Rounded aromas of white peach, cherimoya cream and sea salt are opulent on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. The wine tightens on the sip, with cutting flavors of lime peel pulling away to reveal baked nectarine and salted peach, finishing on a long-lingering hint of honeysuckle.
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.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.