Winemaker Notes
Pair with fettuccini alfredo, chicken liver mousse or poached lobster in drawn butter.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
There is no denying the appeal of this full-bodied Chardonnay from a remote stretch of Northern California. It smells like grilled and buttered baguette slices and Bosc pears, and tastes ripe, fruity and almost as rich as hazelnuts. Creamy in texture, it lingers long on the finish, with subtle acidity for good balance.Editors' Choice
-
Tasting Panel
Golden color; lush and smooth with burnished, toasted fruit and rich texture; firm, stylish and balanced with good length and depth.
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.