Winemaker Notes
Pale straw with a subtle green tint and faint opalescence. Aromas of tart apple, yellow pear, and white peach are complemented by honeysuckle, citrus blossom, and lemon zest. The palate is clean and focused, revealing layers of golden apple and ripe pear framed by vibrant acidity and mineral tension. Crisp and refreshing, the wine carries remarkable energy through a long, salivating finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Tempting richness with balance, layering and creaminess. Great depth and abundant flavor. It's full-bodied, complex and deep, offering baked pear, nutmeg, vanilla bean and subtle butter flavors. Mouth-filling and smooth yet backed by fresh acidity.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a nearby plot beside the winery and adjacent apple orchards, the 2024 Chardonnay Edward James Estate is more floral and perfumed, with greater Hyde-Wente influence. Jasmine, green tea, saline minerality, and electric tension drive the wine, balanced by ripe fruit and flaky sea salt notes.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Edward James Estate is all class. Soft contours frame notes of lemon confit, tangerine peel, mint, white pepper, chamomile, dried flowers and baked apple tart. There is a feeling of translucence to the 2023 that is so appealing.
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Wine Spectator
Distinctive with spicy, firm pomelo, ginger and lemony flavors that are focused and fresh, with notes of pear citrus and cut Honeyscrisp apple slices, orange sherbet and Meyer lemon notes, along with fresh Asian pear notes. Drink now through 2036.
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 standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.