Winemaker Notes
The 2012 Overlook Chardonnay pairs well with whole roasted chicken rubbed with rosemary and lemon zest, grilled red snapper, sashimi, butternut squash ravioli, and summer salads.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This wine's 'California' appellation masks the fact that it's actually sourced from serious sites like Bien Nacido in the Santa Maria Valley and Lone Oak in the Russian River. The fruit is fermented in French oak barrels without inoculation, the wine offering all the cushioning and roundness expected from California, yet with impressive balance and freshness. It lasts on notes of pear and hazelnut, welcoming and appetizing through and through.
California’s most praised white wine, Chardonnay is also the state’s most planted white grape variety. Diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of wine styles.
Chardonnay planted in the cooler, coastal zones takes on bright characteristics like lemon zest, key lime, green apple and wet flint. For this style, look to the chilly Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands and Edna Valley.
The inland zones of California’s coast, such as the Russian River, Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Valleys maintain a more Goldilocks-esque climate where both styles go. Early picking retains acidity and creates a leaner style but leaving the grapes to hang creates an approachable Chardonnay, balancing richness and finesse.
Chardonnay also plays a major part in the sparkling wine production of the Anderson Valley and Carneros.