Winemaker Notes
This Chardonnay exudes richness and elegance with its vibrant notes of Meyer lemon and juicy pear. The delicate aroma of apple blossom intermingles with hints of brioche and caramel, creating a sensory experience that is truly enchanting. The wines medium body is perfectly complemented by balanced light-toasted oak, adding a touch of warmth and complexity. A subtle hint of salinity on the finish lends a refreshing twist to the harmonious wine.
Pair with almond-crusted salmon, crab cakes, a creamy corn chowder, or pork tenderloin.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich and fruit-driven nose of cantaloupe, lemon pith and sweet spices. The palate is full-bodied and textured with bright acidity, showing notes of mangoes, nectarines and poached pears. Fresh and friendly. Drink or hold.
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.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.