Winemaker Notes
The nose is rich with aromas of lemon, yellow apple and tangerine blossoms framed by toasted oak spice and vanilla. The medium-weight palate is marked by refined minerality and oak supporting a ripe palate of juicy nectarine, lemon curd and fresh apple flavors. The finish is a crescendo of baking spice, and crème brûlée flavors. 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
Aromatic and generous nose with golden apples, baked pears, beeswax and some vanilla. It’s medium-bodied with fresh acidity. Round and mellow, with a delicate touch at the center and blanched almonds on the flavorful and creamy finish.
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.