Winemaker Notes
Sourced from Merryvale's Estate Vineyard blocks on the historic Stanly Ranch, the 2021 Carneros Chardonnay is the best example of everything they love from the region. Bright acidity, savory salinity, layered complexity and luscious mouthfeel all converge in this bottle.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of sliced cooked apple and lime with some almond and pie crust. Medium to full body with lovely fruit and a tangy and delicious finish. Nicely tangy and salty finish. Linear and long. Lovely tightness at the end.
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.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.