Winemaker Notes
Indicative of its cool-climate origins, with bright acidity beneath notes of pear, apple, pineapple, apricot, nutmeg and vanilla—all framed by a richly textured palate. Bright acidity beneath notes of sweet melon, golden apple and bright tropical, perfumed pear. Flavors of ripe vanilla, mandarin, toasted marshmallow, butterscotch, banana and citrus blossom are accompanied by a creamy mid-palate.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
This exuberant white with vibrant acidity is clean, rich, and bright on the nose and palate. Key lime, tarragon, melon, and lemon blossom entice with edgy crispness.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Folie à Deux Russian River Valley Chardonnay is firm on the palate and alive with fruit. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings aromas and flavors of ripe apple and dried peach skin to the fore. Enjoy it with a pan-fried, panko-coated flounder in a savory sauce. (Tasted: November 10, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.