Winemaker Notes
Bright notes of lemon zest, citrus blossom and lemon verbena emanate from the glass and open to reveal apricot, green pear and wet granite. Paralleling the aromas, citrus flavors abound on the palate with the addition of lemon oil, grapefruit zest and tangerine. Subtle herbaceous qualities of arugula and thyme show on the long, beautifully textured finish. While absolutely delicious now, we’re
certain our 60th vintage will evolve gracefully for decades to come.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A lean, structured and complex white wine from the great estate, this offers nuanced, elegant flavors of Meyer lemon, stone and apple. The oak is integrated and youthful, as are firm tannins that support a moderate weight and length of texture. Enjoy from 2025–2030.
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Wine Spectator
Well-structured, with focused and pure flavors of freshly cut apple, pear and gooseberry, featuring sea salt and minerally accents. Hints of fennel and dried thyme show on the 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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.