Winemaker Notes
Pairs beautifully with halibut or creamy polenta dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
The grapes for this bottling from Sonoma County's first Ocean Positive climate-neutral winery are grown in close proximity to the Pacific. Refined yet unctuous brushstrokes of lemon chiffon, brioche, and yellow apple saturate the palate as a pinch of white pepper ignites notes of spiced oak and lime zest along with energetic acidity.
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Wine Enthusiast
This clean, fresh and lively Chardonnay sees no oak and no malolactic fermentation. Aromas on the nose suggest candied apple, lemon balm, orange blossom and river rock. The palate has a nice balance between fresh, juicy apple and saline pithiness on the finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Head High Wines is a brand that is a brand to be reckoned with as the first verified climate-neutral ocean-positive winery. The 2023 Sonoma County Chardonnay is an excellent effort. Enjoy its aromas and flavors of Meyer lemon, other citrus fruits, and sandalwood with panfried Petrale. (Tasted: June 16, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.