Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Deftly combining notes of toast and ripe red apple with lighter, more energetic impressions of citrus in its fairly outgoing aromas, this wine boasts near impeccable balance to go with its drift into the slightly oily end of the textural spectrum. Its vital fruit flavors repeat the balancing act between ripeness and freshness and do yeoman’s work in adding another voice to the growing minion of local wines that capture California excitement while holding on tightly to their desire for brightness.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Attractive notes of tangerines, lemon blossom and fresh apple skin emerge from the medium-bodied 2012 Chardonnay from Carneros. This delicious, fruit-laded effort exhibits good acidity, no obvious oak and a long 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.