Winemaker Notes
Delicate aromas of white flower and coastal minerality frame a beautiful nose on this Chardonnay. Hints of Kaffir lime leaf, fresh herbs, and elements of citrus amplify the bright savory character. The firs sip offers a flourish of fresh fruit, which knits into artful integration with focused acidity and lovely chalky textures. As the wine opens in the glass, faint notes of almond skin balance gentle citrus and pear, lingering on a minerals rich finish.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This native-yeast-fermented Chardonnay is a swirl of golden sunshine in the glass, with aromas of tangy tangerine, orange blossom and sweet cinnamon on the nose. Bright and balanced, the palate has lovely precision and freshness.
Cellar Selection -
Jeb Dunnuck
A bright yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast offers a gorgeous nose with bright and ripe aromas of flint, candied green apples, honeyed citrus, and sea spray. The palate is zesty and medium to full-bodied, with great tension and balance all the way through. This beautiful, vibrant wine from winemaker Chantal is a pleasure to drink now and will drink well over the next 7-8 years. I personally prefer this Chardonnay to the Camp Meeting Ridge.
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James Suckling
This is really tangy and vivid with sliced lemons and green apples with stone and white peaches. Some flowers and botanicals. Medium body. Firm and fine phenolics and a fresh finish.
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Decanter
Soaring lemon cream aromatics accented by notes of seaspray, lemongrass and beeswax mark this coastal Chardonnay from Flowers on the Sonoma Coast. The palate is fresh and linear. Oyster shell salinity, bee pollen and grilled lemon make for a savoury balance with delicate crushed chalk minerality.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and seamless, opening with a mouthwatering mix of Meyer lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple, lemon balm, lemon blossom and crunchy sea salt. Offers an appealing, firming chalky texture that plays nicely with the fresh acidity. Drink now. 22,800 cases made.
Over 25 years ago, Flowers Vineyards and Winery pioneered the growing of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged coastal ridges of the extreme Sonoma Coast. Joan and Walt Flowers had a simple goal, to make exceptional wine that captures the wild beauty of the land and the spirit of the Sonoma Coast. This idea continues to drive everything we do - farming responsibly, harvesting by hand, using 100% native fermentation, and making wine with minimal intervention. Our unwavering commitment to crafting distinctive wines that capture the spirit of the Sonoma Coast has been the bedrock of our success, and it will continue to drive us forward for years to come.
Perched on top of soaring coastal ridges that border the nearby Pacific Ocean, our estate vineyards, Camp Meeting Ridge and Sea View Ridge, rise to impressive elevations from 1,150 to 1,875 feet. Flowers resides in the Fort Ross-Seaview American Viticulture Area (AVA), which was established in 2012 and located on the extreme western edge of the Sonoma Coast Appellation. Defined by elevation, rugged terrain and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, vineyard plantings are limited to 920-1,800+ft above sea level and are only 2% of the total AVA acreage.
The Pacific Ocean is less than two miles from the vineyards, generating cooling sea breezes and coastal fog while the soaring elevations ensure abundant sunshine for a long, slow growing season. Together they create an ideal environment for elegant and nuanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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.