Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A Burgundian expression from Sonoma, this offers rich, detailed flavors of pear, spice, nutmeg and honeydew, presenting a level of sophistication demonstrated through textural finesse and nuance. Drink now through 2020.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Medium straw color; dried peach aroma, youthful and attractive, some lees sneaks up into the nose, fine depth; medium bodied, quietly persistent on the palate; dry, fine acidity, well balanced; zippy, peach fuzz in the flavors; medium finish.
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Decanter
Warm, ripe tropical fruit on the nose with a hint of lime. Good attack that is fresh and precise - delicate but not feeble. Orange peel flavours with good concentration of fruit and a long, complex finish. Drink 2016-2024
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.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.