Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Bottled in January, but not released until this September, the 2015 Chardonnay Pratt Vineyard is only from clone 15 (which is an old Wente clone) and comes from just four rows in the vineyard. This is a very cool site and one of the last to be harvested. Native fermented and aged in 66% new French oak for 16 months, it has a sensational mix of richness and freshness, with lots of stone fruits, tangerine and green citrus aromas and flavors, beautiful concentration, high acidity and a great finish. Impressive, but unfortunately there’s only 65 cases available.
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Wine Enthusiast
Sultry and inviting aromas of buttercream, custard and white peach are sliced by Meyer-lemon juice, salt and jasmine on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. It's finely tuned on the palate, delivering butterscotch and pecan flavors dissected by razor-sharp acidity and a chalky texture.
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Wine Spectator
Clean and pure, with a distinct peach and nectarine core that holds focus and ends with a long, persistent, lingering finish that beguiles with juiciness. Drink now through 2020.
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.