Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Ehren Jordan has been buying fruit from Keefer Ranch, in the heart of Green Valley, since 1999; for his chardonnay, he works a block of 25-year-old vines, fermenting the wine without added yeast and aging it in a mix of new and used barrels and concrete eggs. This 2014 is rich in the most satisfying way, bursting at the seams with a juicy, spiced peach flavor yet maintaining its center of gravity. Sleek and comforting, it gains dimension from a bready scent of lees and a savory aroma of vineyard dust that tugs the flavor impression away from sweetness. For fatty fish, like king salmon.
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 standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.