Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Chardonnay ‘Carneros District’ from Neyers Vineyards is a blend of fruit from the Sangiacomo Home Vineyard, along with grapes from Jim and Del Yamakawa’s vineyard near the northern limit of the Carneros AVA. We also included fruit from Nancy and Sandy Donnell’s El Novillero Vineyard at the AVA’s western limit, and the southern Carneros District vineyard of the Ceja family.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This is a blend of fruit from four vineyards in Carneros—two in the western reaches, including the Sangiacomo Home Ranch, one in the north and one to the south—all farmed to sustain a healthy yeast population for spontaneous fermentation in barrels. It’s tight and stony with zesty lemon curd flavors, lasting on umami complexities. If you open it now, pour it with an onion, bacon and Gruyère tart; it’s also built for the cellar.
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James Suckling
Aromas of lime, spiced apple, smoke and cedar. It’s medium-to full-bodied with bright acidity, tight layers and a toasty, energetic finish.
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.