Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Buttered lemons, acacia flowers, toasted brioche, and a touch of pineapple all define the 2017 Chardonnay Sevens Bench Vineyard. Coming from a vineyard in the cooler Carneros region of Napa Valley, it has terrific ripeness as well as brilliant purity of fruit. Its acidity is nicely integrated, and while it's already hard to resist, it's going to evolve for a solid decade.
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Wine Enthusiast
Hearty and robust, this wine tastes of tropical honey, brioche and caramel. Thickly concentrated, it retains enough acidity to balance and complement the richness, deftly represented by a lasting character of lemon meringue.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Sevens Bench Vineyard bursts with expressive green mango, guava and apple pie scents plus suggestions of coriander seed, cedar chest and pineapple tart. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is all class with lovely freshness defining the apple and tropical flavors, finishing on a spicy note.
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.