Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Well-integrated minerality and a combination of exotic fig and guava make this an inviting wine, supported by floral wafts of orange blossom. Finely made from a stellar vineyard site in Carneros, it has creamy lemon and tangerine layered throughout, finished by a spicy, herbal accent.
Editors' Choice -
Wine & Spirits
This comes from a southwest-facing block at Lee Hudson’s vineyard, in the hills rising up from Carneros. It’s a finely grown chardonnay, austere up front, then full in the middle. The wine’s warm richness is incorporated into flavors of roasted peaches, baking spices and cream, all held firmly by clean, persistent acidity. Decant a bottle for grilled prawns.
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.