Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Chardonnay Fort Ross Vineyard (447 cases) comes from an old Hyde Vineyard clone of Chardonnay (80%) and 20% from the old Wente. Aged ten months in French oak, of which 10% was new, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, this is just a killer Chardonnay. A rather thick-looking light gold color is followed by loads of spring flowers, wet rocks, honeysuckle, almond paste and caramelized citrus with a touch of brioche and white peach. It’s beautifully textured, full-bodied, incredibly elegant and intense. This is a superb Sonoma Coast Chardonnay to drink over the next decade or more.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Do not be concerned about the slightly hazy appearance of this deep and wonderfully well-filled Chardonnay for there is absolutely nothing amiss here. From its rich, mildly creamy aromas of ripe apples and pears to its like-minded, very long-lasting flavors, it is as clean as it is juicy, and generous fruit abounds at every turn.
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.
On the far western edge of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA hugs right up against the Pacific coast. Vineyards, planted at rugged elevations between 920 to 1,800 feet, occupy only two percent of the total land in the AVA. Fort Ross-Seaview growers believe that the region boasts an ideal mix of sunshine, cool air and beneficial stress for producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot noir.