Winemaker Notes
The 2022 My Favorite Neighbor Chardonnay showcases the richness of a warmer growing season while maintaining its signature freshness and minerality. It offers aromas of citrus, apple, and a touch of brioche, with a balanced, fuller-bodied profile on the palate. Ripe fruit flavors are complemented by crisp acidity and subtle toasted oak, creating a smooth, elegant mouthfeel. The wine finishes long and clean, with a hint of creaminess. A perfect Chardonnay for any occasion, it combines vibrancy with depth and is well-suited for both immediate enjoyment and aging.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Notes of ripe peaches, mangoes and grilled pineapple with lemon peel, custard and pastry crust undertones. Full-bodied, creamy and delicious with a layered, textural mid-palate and a lingering finish. Very attractive. Drink now.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay is sweetly scented with a pretty blend of chamomile and yellow apples, complemented by candied lime. This is soft and round, with nearly oily textures lifted by cooling acidity as ripe orchard fruits are embellished by hints of butterscotch. The 2022 finishes spicy and long with a mineral tension and a pleasantly bitter tinge. This contrasts purity and opulence in a way that’s seldom seen.
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.