Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Clean Asian pear, wet gravel and lime peel aromas show on the tightly wound nose of this bottling. The palate is quite delicate at first, offering lightly seared white peach, chalk and lime zest notes, but grows increasingly savory and delicious as it opens, indicating great cellar potential. Drink 2018–2030.
Cellar Selection -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard opens with pronounced lemon curd, grapefruit and fresh ginger notes with hints of crushed nuts and baking bread. Medium-bodied, elegantly crafted and with a lively backbone to lift the delicate citrus and spice flavors, it has a lovely creamy suggestion and good length.
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 a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.