Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of pears and pear blossom with lemon rind undertones. Medium body with plenty of fruit and energetic acidity with a pumice undertone. Some terra-cotta, too. Flavorful finish. Salty, too. Complex. Lots going on here. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Chardonnay George Menini Estate comes from the Sebastopol Hills, where this vineyard was once an old apple farm. In the glass, it pours a bright silver/yellow color and is lifted and fresh on the nose, opening to notes of wet stone, dewy citrus blossoms, almonds, and fresh pear. Elegant and medium-bodied, it’s long on the palate, with delicate floral notes and hints of lemon curd through the finish. Drink 2025-2037.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chardonnay George Menini Estate comes from Paul Hobbs's newest vineyard, planted in 2015. It was matured for 12 months, bottled in August of 2023 and tasted that November. It takes some time to reveal soft touches of beeswax and crème brûlée, quince and white peach, plus floral and saline undertones. The light-bodied palate is supple and vibrant, its crunchy, saline-driven fruit still coiled on the finish. It's a bright, focused expression reminiscent of Chablis and will benefit from 2-3+ years in bottle.
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Wine Spectator
Elegant, supple and highly detailed, offering a core of fruit flavors including ripe pear, Fuji apple, quince and lemon curd. Shows candied ginger, green cardamom and oolong tea grace notes, with a touch of salted caramel that lingers on the refreshing frame. Drink now through 2034.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay George Menini Estate is another impressive wine from this estate site. Complex and dynamic, the 2022 impresses with its nuanced, vibrant personality. Orchard fruit, chamomile, spice, mint and light tropical notes open in the glass. More than anything else, I am struck by the wine's impeccable balance and pure pedigree.
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.