Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Nicely balanced and complex in flavor, this blends bright apple and pear aromas with more subtle and spicy flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. The texture is smooth and sleek, livened up by good acidity, and the finish is long and lively.
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Tasting Panel
Clean, mellow pear and stone fruit flavors; balanced and lush with a long, ripe style.
California’s most praised white wine, Chardonnay is also the state’s most planted white grape variety. Diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of wine styles.
Chardonnay planted in the cooler, coastal zones takes on bright characteristics like lemon zest, key lime, green apple and wet flint. For this style, look to the chilly Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands and Edna Valley.
The inland zones of California’s coast, such as the Russian River, Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Valleys maintain a more Goldilocks-esque climate where both styles go. Early picking retains acidity and creates a leaner style but leaving the grapes to hang creates an approachable Chardonnay, balancing richness and finesse.
Chardonnay also plays a major part in the sparkling wine production of the Anderson Valley and Carneros.