Winemaker Notes
This medium-bodied Reserve Chardonnay opens with inviting aromas of lemon citrus, mango and fig. Unctuous notes of creamy lemon bar and papaya are layered with subtle hints of hazelnut and clove. The well-balanced acidity and complexity of flavors lead to a long finish with hints of vanilla and lemon oil.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The winery’s reserve Chard has consistently been the best among their five Chards. The ’05 is a dramatic wine, although oak-o-phobes might find it toothpicky. It is smoky and buttery and caramelly, but a year or so should knit that together with the ripe tropical fruits and make the wine seamlessly complex.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Offering loads of tangerine oil, lemon blossom, pineapple, and brioche characteristics, the 2005 Chardonnay Reserve is a full-bodied, dense, fruit-laden effort that will provide pleasure over the next 3-4 years.
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Wine Spectator
Honey, fig, butterscotch and melon get a nice smoky, toasty oak edge. Holds onto a tight core of smoky, fruity flavors that give this an exotic yet elegant mouthfeel. Drink now through 2011. 4,029 cases made.
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.