Winemaker Notes
The first scents out of the glass are a flash back to childhood - honey grahams! This character is derived from the fermentation and aging process, not from the grapes. With new oak impact at an all-time low, one can actually see through the layers and depict the fruit. The grapes contribute caramelized pear qualities and an element of wet stone. Sweet creamed corn, butterscotch and a trace of smoke fill in the layers.
At first introduction, the wine displays bright, refreshing acidity. Flavors of sweet, perfectly ripe oranges and pineapple complement the slightly drying, but desirable character of minerals. This full-flavored wine maintains balance and levity with a bit of spritz. Flavors are long and lingering, with the essence of lemon drop candy providing a memorable send-off."
- Winemaker Kirby Anderson
Professional Ratings
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.