Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Grilled pineapple, dried mango, spiced pear, buttered toast and smoked almond on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied, layered and concentrated. Some waxy and smoky character. Excellent length.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and toasty, a medium-bodied white, with a lush range of glazed apple, smoky grilled brioche, lemon curd and candied ginger notes reined in by sleek, well-knit acidity. The lasting finish is lightly mouthwatering, with pretty lime blossom and flint notes. Drink now through 2026.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Opening to a delightful nose, the 2017 Chardonnay wafts out of the glass with delicate French oak notes, citrus blossom, yellow apple, Meyer lemon, hints of musk melon and underripe pineapple. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shows energetic acidity with succulence on the palate. Growing spiciness from the oak enters across the mid-palate, with subtle flavors of sautéed almonds and yellow apple with a kiss of reductive essence. The wine finishes texturally long and with a food-friendly, spicy conclusion. Nicely done.
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.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.