Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Matchbook Chardonnay opens up with aromas of honey and floral perfume framed by a beautiful barrel expression of vanilla and crème brûlée. Flavors of sweet fruit, peach pit, and ripe honeydew melon mingle with subtle notes of tropical fruit and butterscotch. The creamy texture is balanced by a bright, crisp finish. Our Old Head, Estate Bottled Chardonnay is a showcase wine for the Dunnigan Hills terroir.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This medium-bodied wine is subtle on the nose, but opens up on the palate to rich fruit and spice flavors that coat the tongue. It is balanced toward the soft side, but with underling acidity to balance the richness.
Best Buy
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.
Mitigated by mild Sacramento River Delta breezes, the Dunnigan Hills appellation is in the northwest portion of Yolo County and has a Mediterranean climate.