Winemaker Notes
Crafted with precision from six pedigreed sites, our newest vintage shines with an opalescent, pale straw hue. Aromas of red apple skin, Asian pear, and Meyer lemon zest entices the nose, followed by delicate notes of gardenia. Lively flavors of apricot and nectarine emerge on the palate, giving way to lemon meringue and baking spice. Bright and energetic with a vibrant acidity, this graceful wine ends with a long, seamless finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A medium straw/gold hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Russian River Valley offers up fresh and classic aromas of melon rind, lightly toasted baking spices, and ripe apple. The palate is expressive, with a nice balance of ripeness and saline. Softly textured, with notes of crunchy green apple, ripe tangerine, and salty earth, it’s in a great place now and will drink well over the next 5-6 years.
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James Suckling
Cooked apple, pie crust, stone, and vanilla bean aromas with hints of flint. Full body. Crunchy fruit with sliced apple. Hints of oak. Dense in the center palate yet firm and focused. Excellent. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Seamless and polished, with succulent notes of apricot, peaches, mango and Meyer lemon, plus a touch of Honeycrisp apple at the core. Accents of orange blossom, cardamom and nutmeg linger on the long, expressive finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay is made with 90% estate fruit, mostly from Paul Hobbs's single-vineyard wines. It opens with some flinty and allspice tones that give way to a core of yellow apples, chamomile and beeswax. The light-bodied palate has a satiny texture and generous, spicy flavors balanced by vibrant acidity, and it has a long, flavorful 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.
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.