Winemaker Notes
The nose is richly layered with scents of toasted oak, Meyer lemon, white peach and wet stone minerality. Medium weight and creamy textured on the palate, flavors of yellow apple, stone fruit, lemon meringue pie, and hints of sea spray abound, leading to a supple and refreshing finish. Big in its youth, this wine is enjoyable now and will reward those who can patiently cellar it away for a few years.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Salted lemons, oyster shells and olives on the nose, together with fine lees and a subtle, creamy layer. Flavorful and mineral on the palate, showing nice, creamy lees, savory herbs and lemony flavors. Well made.
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.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.