Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Full-scaled aromas of ripe apples, sweet oak, vanilla and toast introduce this expressive Chardonnay, and there is no let up in richness on the palate. The wine is moderately full-bodied, very well-balanced and comes with all of the fruity extract needed to fill its ample frame, and, while a touch coarse and a bit lemony on the finish, it never wavers in focus and persists impressively. It will be helped in the near-term by service with richer foods, and there is a case to be made that it has good potential for a few years of improvement.
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.