Winemaker Notes
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.
Settling into the steep hills on the west side of Clear Lake, vineyards of the Clear Lake AVA are comprised mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc and Zinfandel. This area, part of the greater Lake County growing region, represents an outstanding source of high value California wines.