Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The top value is the excellent 2008 Chardonnay Overlook, 75% of which is accessed from Sonoma and 25% from Santa Barbara. Its medium straw/green color is followed by notes of poached pears, cloves, white currants, and nectarines, pure fruit, medium to full body, and a good finish. It should drink well for 2-3 years. Winemaker Eric Stern judiciously uses wood as a complementary seasoning, which is evident in all these Chardonnays.
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
Green appley scents with a hint of the sweet/tangy side of fresh pineapples are joined in the nose by a suggestion of roasted hazelnuts. Somewhat rounded on the palate to start with underlying acidity adding its own perky voice to the rendition, this wine picks up a slight chalky texture that is in need of foods like roasted chickens or grilled salmon filets in order to show well.
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.