Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
Ripe apples, fresh blossoms, a scant touch of citrus and mildly caramelly, wholly complementary oak merge seamlessly in the nicely filled aromas and like-minded flavors of this rich and very well-crafted wine, and, while moderately full-bodied and slightly oily on entry, it shows fine acid balance and effortlessly avoids the least sensation of heaviness. Its impressions of early polish cannot be missed, but they are merely precursors of things to come, and, while we would have no qualms about enjoying this one tonight, it is a Chardonnay with the clear capacity to reward a few years of forbearance.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Made from a several sites within the appellation, this wine is marked by full-barrel caramelization and an inviting nod to brioche. Toffee and cinnamon interweave within its rich, thick waves of texture. Tropical mango allows for a hint of fruit amidst the darker flavors.
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 standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.