Winemaker Notes
This year's Damaris is a blend of two of the stars of the vintage. Not too surprisingly, the better quality grapes
came from very cool sites in this very hot vintage. Petersen vineyard is in the Sonoma Coast appellation and
Frostwatch is in the newly created Bennett Valley appellation. Both areas are typically late to experience budbreak
and have the toughest time with spring frost. While cropping levels were down everywhere, these two
vineyards had particularly low yields given the cooler sites and wet, cold April weather.
Well-balanced fruit and long, slow fermentations led to multi-layered flavors in these two wines. However, it
was the synergy of this blend that proved winning in our numerous tastings of our favorite lots for inclusion in
the Damaris Reserve blend.
Tasting notes for this wine included: pear, apple, lemon zest, balanced acid structure, viscous, crème brulee
and pineapple. This is a classically structured wine with great intensity and power.
The sweetness of new oak (30%) and ultra-ripe fruit from cool sites, gives the 2003 Damaris the richness and
structure to pair with the most opulent seafood, such as butter poached lobster or salmon, as well as grilled
halibut, tuna or swordfish. Both triple crèmes and goat cheese will also pair well with this fleshy chardonnay.
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.