Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Chardonnay from Carneros came from a warm, early vintage. Yields averaged about three tons per acre, and the wine is characterized by its combination of fresh, natural acidity, low alcohol, and a bright, complex finish.
It’s difficult to imagine any food that won’t be improved by a glass of it, but the winemaker finds it especially enjoyable with whole roasted, lemon-stuffed chicken.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Aged in (30% new) French oak on the lees with no stirring, this wine opens with piquant notes of spiced mango, almond, and creamed corn before the palate broadens with peach nectar, vanilla wafer, and chamomile. The lush body is balanced by enough striking acidity to keep it bright and fresh. Grapes are sourced from three sites farmed by the Sangiacomo family and one site by the Yamakowa family on the Sonoma side of the Carneros District
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.