Winemaker Notes
The Donum Estate is dedicated to producing Chardonnay that expresses the character of the vineyard in which it is grown. Vinified with minimal intervention in their Estate Winery, each wine is a unique expression of their land.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of banana, pineapple and Crème Brulee come in waves on the nose of this complex and intense Chardonnay. The mid-palate displays loads of fresh Meyer lemon, sage and green apple flavors in a richly textured frame. Drink this with crabcakes or halibut.
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Decanter
Donum's 2022 Single Vineyard Carneros Estate Chardonnay delivers lifted aromas of lemon curd, honeycomb, apricot, kumquat, and flaky sea salt. This long, penetrating, medium- to full-bodied wine has toasted almonds and candied lemon peel. Composed of various Chardonnay clones, it is primarily fermented in French oak using native yeast, with a small percentage in concrete, and aged for 16 months in 53% new French oak.
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James Suckling
This shows plenty of pear skin, pineapple skin and grapes. It’s medium-bodied, crunchy and fresh, with stone and crushed cement undertones. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Bright and delicious as a lemon meringue pie with a graham cracker crust, this offers accents of fresh ginger, lime zest and lemon balm, with crunchy sea salt minerality, plus notes of lemongrass on the expressive finish.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay (Carneros) is soft, open-knit and quite tasty. Tangerine peel, white truffle, passion fruit and a kiss of French ok confer an attractive dimension of exoticism throughout.
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.