Winemaker Notes
All the grapes for STG Chalk Hill Chardonnay were harvested by hand from a single vineyard. The wine was fermented in 60-gallon barrels and remained in the barrels from several weeks to add complexity; 80% of the wine then underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged in barrel sur lie for six months before being filtered and placed in new oak barrels for additional maturing. The wine has distinctly fruity aromas, creamy texture and full body, with attractive oak complexity.
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.
A Sonoma sub-appellation whose boundaries cover the northeastern corner of the Russian River Valley AVA, the Chalk Hill growing area is named after its unique chalky and white, volcanic ash soils. This terrain has proven successful with white varieties, namely Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc.