Winemaker Notes
Made exclusively using grapes from Clos Du Val’s acclaimed Carneros estate vineyard, which they have been farming for more than four decades. This is a vivid and alluring Chardonnay, with layered aromas of lemon, white peach, and clove spice. On the palate, balanced acidity gives the wine a smooth mouthfeel with a refreshing green apple finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is entirely barrel-fermented and French-oak aged, making for a generous, full-bodied lushness on the palate. Creamy tropical fruit, pear and melon are met by sublime texture and wellintegrated oak, finishing in a flourish of crème brûlée.
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.