Winemaker Notes
The cool and foggy Carneros region is known for producing grapes with a natural balance of acidity and ripeness. Fruit was hand-picked in the cool of night to ensure it reached the winery in pristine condition. This elegantly balanced, medium-bodied wine is 42% French oak barrel-fermented and aged sur-lie. Aromas of white floral and lemon blossom are mixed with pluot skin, honeydew melon, poached pear and tangerine. On the palate, the wine boasts flavors of meyer lemon and lemon pastry, with mineral notes and a touch of sur lies in the late finish. This Chardonnay has a vibrant acidity with a long finish.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A calm, cool wine with crisp acidity supporting nicely ripe fruit flavors and moderate oak spices. Medium-bodied and a bit tangy, offering green apple, white peach and lime zest flavors on a lively yet rounded texture.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A bargain when it comes to Napa Chardonnay, Charles Krug's 2023 Chardonnay Carneros is partially barrel-fermented, with just a small proportion of new French oak. Notes of lemon custard, pineapple, pear and melon make for a pleasing mélange of fruit in this medium-bodied effort. Plump and welcoming, the wine then firms up a bit and brings more citrus to bear on the finish.
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.