Winemaker Notes
Pair simply with yellowtail sashimi garnished with a fresh lemon wedge, or try it with a dressed-up. Pairs beautifully with browned scallops in an herbed butter roux. Also, try a firm cheese such as a gouda or dry jack.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Take a nosedive into scents of bright, clean lemon drops before alert acidity on the palate leads to tangerine and tarragon. The mouthfeel is light and energetic and the finish creamy, with a streak of freshly juiced lime. Modern and on target for value and quality.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Spiced orchard fruits, brioche, honeyed pineapple, and lots of spice emerge from the 2017 Chardonnay Overlook. This is a rich, nicely textured, balanced Chardonnay that way over-delivers at the price. I don't expect it to make old bones, but it's one delicious drink today.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I have been a fan of the Landmark Overlook Chardonnay over the last two decades. The 2017 vintage is one of the winery's best efforts to date. TASTING NOTES: This wine is powerful, yet pleasing, and delectable. Its aromas and flavors of dried peach skin and oak should pair it deliciously with slices of roast chicken of fresh garden greens and a lemon-accented dressing. (Tasted: March 17, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.