Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Chardonnay showcases a combination of 4 distinct blocks from the Hudson Estate planted to Heritage Shot Wente clone. Hudson hand selected barrels from each site to create a Chardonnay that fully expresses the elegant and balanced style of Hudson Vineyards. The wine is rich with bright acidity and mouthwatering notes of citrus, stone fruit, and brioche.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted as a tank sample prior to bottling, the barrel-fermented 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard displays a full-bodied, rich, custardy mouthfeel that easily carries the bold flavors of pineapple, white peach and citrus. It's a blend of several blocks and sees approximately 60% new French oak.
Tank Sample: 92-94 -
Wine Spectator
Impressive for the generous, plump flavors and the restraint and elegance of the candied ginger peel, briny preserved lemon, peppery white flower and buttery peach pastry flavors on a plush frame. Reveals a juicy thread of acidity.
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.