Winemaker Notes
A platinum-hued color begins the experience and follows with aromas of guava, white peach, lemon zest and wet stone. The flavor echoes the nose and reveals additional flavors of pineapple, lemon custard and green apple delivered with a mouthwatering, bright acidity. The finish reveals a luscious, well-integrated sweet kiss of oak. Enjoy now or up to 8 years
Halibut with mango salsa or ceviche tostadas would be a great match to this Carneros Chardonnay. For a lighter course, pair with an arugula salad topped with fi gs and goat cheese.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel sample, the 2016 Chardonnay Los Carneros opens with tropical aromas of pineapple, guava and honeydew melon plus beeswax and ginger hints. Medium to full-bodied, oily, fresh and spicy in the mouth, it shows good intensity and impressive balance, finishing long.
Barrel Sample: 91-93
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.