Winemaker Notes
The signature aromas are the fragrant notes of Meyer lemon and tapioca pudding from the Rued clone, harmoniously combined with the classic, delicate flavors of Golden Delicious apple and white peach from the See clone. On the palate the wine is fresh and lively, full flavored but with a very dry finish that makes it an ideal companion to food.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A terrific Chardonnay, brilliantly structured, with a crisply acidic minerality undergirding rich flavors of pineapple brûlée, ripe white peach, gingerbread and creamy lees. Addictively good despite being entirely unoaked. Now through 2011.
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Wine Spectator
Crisp, flinty and full-bodied, with the focus on pleasantly earthy citrus, lemon and nectarine fruit, along with hints of green apple. Ends with a long finish that turns creamy without losing structure. There's no oak. Drink now through 2012. 2,090 cases made.
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.