Winemaker Notes
On the nose delicate notes of lychee, citrus blossom, and toasted hazelnut followed by flavors of Gravenstein apple, Meyer lemon, and baked pear. On the palate the 2017 vintage presents bright acidity and a long-refined finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
From the great estate in the heart of the appellation, this white is richly developed in succulent flavors of pear, pineapple and melon. Balanced acidity boosts the fruit and integrated oak, with touches of nutmeg spice and jasmine that last on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Saralee’s Vineyard was barrel fermented and aged 10 months in 32% new French oak. It opens with white peach, lilac, baked golden apple, apricot, sweet spices and honey toast with loads of savory accents. Medium-bodied, it’s rounded, silky and intense with mouthwatering freshness and a long, toasty finish.
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Wine Spectator
An elegant and focused style, with lithe minerality enriching the concentrated apple, pear tart and dried apricot flavors. Lilting midpalate, showing hints of crème brûlée on the finish. Drink now through 2024.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Chardonnay Saralee's Vineyard is a touch more reserved and closed, yet has more concentration as well as depth. Stone fruits, white flowers, crushed rock-like minerality, and a touch of charcoal all slowly emerge from the glass, and it's nicely textured and medium to full-bodied, with integrated acidity, background oak, and a clean, crisp finish. It's a classy Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 2-5 years.
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.