Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
Made by the Mendocino subsidiary of Napa’s Cliff Lede Vineyards; a tangy nose preceding bright acidity and lively citrus fruit; a crisp, modern, stylish wine with plenty of depth and finesse.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I always enjoy it when wineries keep their use of oak to a minimum and this seems to be the case with the FEL Anderson Valley Chardonnay. The 2016 vintage is quite a fine effort. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and sassy. Its aromas and flavors of peach skin and citrus peel make it a nice choice with steamed clams in a light broth. (Tasted: September 10, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine Enthusiast
This is a delicious, no-nonsense wine that features pure fruit flavors, little obvious oak influence, good zingy acidity and excellent balance. Its strength is a slight sense of reserve that is refreshing and mouthwatering.
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.
Surrounded by redwood forests and often blanketed in chilly, ocean fog, the Anderson Valley is one of California’s most picturesque appellations. During the growing season, moist, cool, late afternoon air flows in from the Pacific Ocean along the Navarro River and over the valley's golden, oak-studded hills. High and low temperatures can vary as much as 40 or 50 degrees within a single day, allowing for slow and gentle ripening of grapes, which will in turn create elegantly balanced wines.
The Anderson Valley is best known for Pinot Noir made in a range of styles from delicate and floral to powerful and concentrated. Chardonnay also shines here, and both varieties are often utilized for the production of some of California’s best traditional method sparkling wines. The region also draws inspiration from Alsace and produces excellent Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.