Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Kerr Cellars Sonoma Coast Chardonnay has a vibrant nose of lemon curd, brioche, apricot, honey, and almond. The silky entry opens to a sumptuous and broad mid palate, with flavors of lemon zest, almond, pastry, and a touch of honey. Bright and well integrated acidity carries the palate and drives a long, mineral finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of apple pie, lemon curd, crushed stone, cement, and honeysuckle follow through to a medium to full body, with a sleek and lightly oily palate, and a flavorful finish with some flint and matchstick at the end.
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Wine Spectator
This lovely version opens with mouthwatering acidity and fresh, fleshy notes of apple, Meyer lemon, tangerine and mango, plus hints of vanilla, spices, toast and buttery pastry that expand on the generous finish.
Kerr Cellars was founded in 2013 by professional golf star Cristie Kerr to share her passion for fine wines that exhibit power, complexity, and finesse. Guided by the principle of their Latin motto "Agro Ad Amphorum" meaning from soil to bottle, all wines are meticulously crafted by acclaimed Winemaker Helen Keplinger. Kerr Cellars wines continue to earn critical acclaim, high scores, and placements throughout the fine wine world and are popular among collectors. They are best known for their Reserve Red, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot which has received scores in the mid to high 90’s upon every release. Most notably, the inaugural release in 2013 received 98 points from Robert Parker.
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.