Winemaker Notes
The intense, complex nose offers tropical fruit aromas such as pineapple, banana, and ripe mango, while pleasing notes of peaches and pears round out the fruity profile. The coastal climate is very much present in the subtle notes of grapefruit and white asparagus. Smooth attack on the palate with perfectly balanced acidity, resulting in a very fresh wine that also has generous volume. This Alpha Chardonnay ends with a long and elegant finish that invites another glass.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay Montes Alpha is sourced from Casablanca and Leyda in the Coastal Range. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, this yellow wine presents green apple notes alongside hints of creamed corn and a touch of vanilla. Indulgent and creamy on the palate, the subtly refreshing mouthfeel leads to a plush finish. This is a well-crafted, judiciously oaked coastal Chardonnay.
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James Suckling
Oatmeal, creamy lees, fresh pineapple, hazelnuts and lemon curd. Round and medium-bodied on the palate, with fresh acidity and a creamy, medium-long finish. Very consistent. No malolactic this year, aiming for freshness.
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Wine Spectator
A fresh white, with Key lime details to the ripe peach and pineapple core. Subtle herbal and mineral notes fold in on a toasty edge to the slightly coarse finish. Drink now. 17,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.
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 region that has become synonymous with some of the best whites of Chile, the Casablanca Valley is full of dozens of bodegas who either grow fruit here or come from outside to source from local growers for their own white wine programs. The valley runs from east to west, which means that its westernmost vineyards receive the most cooling influence from the reliable afternoon sea breezes. The soils also tend to be heavier in clay in the west, whereas the eastern end of the valley is warmer and its soils are predominantly granitic. Sauvignon blanc thrives here, Chardonnay does well and Pinot noir is not uncommon.