Winemaker Notes
Pair this refreshing Chardonnay with grilled herb marinated sea bass with mango chutney.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very crisp and clear with dried apple, peach, honey and pie crust. Full to medium body, lovely center palate. Lively finish. Partial malo. Great value for outstanding quality.
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Wine Enthusiast
Apple blossom intrigues on the nose of this light-bodied, low-oaked white. It's both steely and revealing, showing succulent mango, peach and pear. The acidity is lively and balanced
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2015 Martin Ray Russian River Valley Chardonnay boasts fragrant ripe apple and peach in the aromas and on the palate. The wine's satisfying finish makes it a delicious and versatile cocktail or main entrée wine. Drinks well now. (Tasted: September 8, 2016, 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.
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.