Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Cougar Rock Vineyard Chardonnay expresses precise Meyer lemon rind and crushed shells with notes of jasmine,
lemon thyme and sandlewood. The palate is headlined with an electric acidity, coupled with savory spice and a chalky minerality. Well textured and structured, this Chardonnay fully expresses the granitic soils of the high mountainous ridge tops at Cougar Rock
Vineyard. Beautiful in its youth, we expect this Chardonnay to age gracefully and improve over the next 10+ years.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A firm and phenolic white with aromas and flavors of dried apple, butterscotch and caramel. Some dried pear, too. Full body. Juicy finish. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Brick & Mortar Cougar Rock Vineyard Chardonnay offers wine that exhibits Old and New World traits. TASTING NOTES: This wine is beautiful and rustic. Its aromas and flavors of ripe apples and spice should pair famously with Dungeness Crab, tobiko, sushi rice, and nori. (Tasted: February 27, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Just northeast of Napa city, Atlas Peak boasts some of Napa Valley’s highest elevation vineyards. Here the intense sunlight coupled with cool, nighttime temperatures produce grapes that are perfectly ripe, balanced and concentrated. The appellation is rich in volcanic soils and excels in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.