Winemaker Notes
The hazy golden hue is evidence of subtle stirring of the lees and bottling without fining or filtration. The refined texture and layers of bright fruit beautifully intertwine with the vibrant acidity and minerality characteristic of the Fort Ross Vineyard’s coastal terroir. Captivating aromas of citrus blossoms, starfruit and honeydew melon sing with just a hint of almond to captivate the senses. The complex palate of classic yellow peach, apricot and poached pear with accents of lemon oil and hazelnuts unfold on the palate and carry through the expansive finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Chardonnay FRV Fort Ross Vineyard is a beauty. Clean, classic, and medium-bodied, with good acidity as well as notes of buttered orchard fruits and spice, it has plenty of fruit, good balance, and a classic Chardonnay profile.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Fort Ross Vineyard gives up notions of warm applesauce, poached pears and honey toast with a waft of lemon peel. The palate is medium-bodied with appealing freshness and plenty of spicy stone fruit and apple flavors, finishing on a honey-nut note.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Fort Ross Chardonnay is elegant, stylish, and balance. TASTING NOTES: This wine is active on the palate and in the finish. Its primary aromas and flavors of ripe core fruit, oak accents, a hint of minerality should pair it well with pan-seared scallops. (Tasted: March 7, 2019, 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.
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.