Winemaker Notes
Chardonnay thrives in the cool climates of their vineyard sites near the bay. This terroir creates a wine with aromas of Honeycrisp apple, brioche, white flowers, and Meyer lemon zest. The palate is a playful balance of rich and creamy textures with vibrant acidity. Flavors of Anjou pear, tropical fruits, hazelnut, vanilla, and oak spices round out its appeal; making it suited to enjoy on its own or pair well with a wide range of dishes.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautifully layered and slightly rich yet well balanced. A luxurious but fresh-tasting wine that leads with toasted almonds and brown butter, then crisp apples and Bosc pears. Winemaker Kristy Melton goes for a middle ground between ripeness and nervy austerity, so this wine reaches a deft balance.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A fine value for Napa Cahrdonnay, Freemark Abbey's 2023 Chardonnay was barrel fermented in 44% new French oak. Lovely cinnamon and nutmeg notes join a hint of pineapple custard, lime and just a bit of peach on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rather broad and expansive but not over the top, with a bright, zesty lime-like finish. Around half the blend comes from an old-vine site in eastern Napa (planted 1978), with the balance from Coombsville and Carneros.
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.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.