Winemaker Notes
High-toned aromas of mandarin blossom and lemongrass frame a core of zested Meyer lemon and Freestone peach. This wine shows focus and precision, yet surprisingly balanced opulence. Crushed sea shell minerality flirts across the palate and accentuates the freshpicked pear and Braeburn apple flavors. Finishing with warming clove and a hint of gunpowder and flint, this wine expresses sophisticated elegance from start to finish. Its balanced composition promises enjoyment in its youth but also decades of ageability.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Pear, white peach and honeysuckle aromas and flavors come through clearly. It’s holding on beautifully, with subtlety and brightness. Medium-bodied. Dry and steely at the end.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Chalky at first, the 2016 Chardonnay takes its time to reveal citrus blossoms, lime peel, crushed stone, apricots and pure lemon and apple fruit with dusty, minerally nuances. The palate walks a wonderful line of pure, ripe fruits and fresh citrusy and rocky accents. It has a silky texture, tangy lift and a very long, nuanced finish. This has the stuffing and structure to be very long lived. Rating:95+
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.