Winemaker Notes
In contrast to Eric Kent's Luke's Grove which celebrates the full throttle of the Russian River Valley, 1 KM West is dedicated to the "Coastal" character of the true Sonoma Coast. This vintage, they gave it a little extra barrel time to let zing of bright acidity round itself out and wowza, the results are stunning indeed!
Full of citrusy lift and verve, yet elegantly softened around the edges, eighteen months in barrel harmonized and polished the lemon curd, fresh lime, wet stone and candied ginger elements leading to a magnificently long finish that makes you salivate as it gently caresses your tongue. Just enough oak (all in the background) completes the palate and lets the fruit shine in all its glory. Like all of Eric Kent's 2022 bottlings, it's a micro production you won't want to miss!
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 vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.