Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Reserve is all estate fruit from Carneros, with 43% coming from their vineyard on Cuttings Wharf Road. It is 100% barrel fermented using 34% new oak and aged on the lees for 15 months, with 8% native yeast fermentation and 50% malolactic fermentation. The nose bursts from the glass with bold, gregarious guava, pineapple upside-down cake and peach cobbler notions plus nuances of clover honey, almond croissant and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals a beautiful satiny texture and lovely freshness supporting the fantastic intensity of exotic fruit and peach preserves layers, finishing very long and spicy.
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.