Winemaker Notes
This wine is a barrel selection exclusively from the Ladybug Vineyard. It has gorgeous, complex aromas of orange rind, crushed rock and leather followed by a rich, round viscous mouthfeel, which seems to last forever.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Ladybug was aged for 23 months in French oak, 80% new. It soars out of the glass with vibrant scents of pink grapefruit, pineapple upside-down cake and passion fruit with lovely lemon drop, honeysuckle and mandarin peel hints plus a spicy touch of nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is achingly silken, subtly nuanced and yet wonderfully intense, multilayered and long, long, long. Crazy good Chardonnay!
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.