Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Rating 93-95. There are 500 cases of the 2002 Chardonnay Cuvee Indigene, which comes from a parcel of Chardonnay vines made famous by Helen Turley, the Upper Barn/Gauer Ranch, renamed the Alexander Valley Mountain Estate when it was acquired by Jess Jackson. This 2002 exhibits wonderfully buttered orange, brioche, and ripe citrus notes, terrific minerality, and a full-bodied, layered, concentrated, intense style. Like all of these wines, it is brilliantly balanced by zesty acidity that provides a refreshing as well as vigorous personality.
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 small and picturesque valley separating Napa Valley on its south border and Alexander Valley to its north, Knights Valley excels in similar varieties as the two aforementioned appellations, namely red Bordeaux varieties and blends, as well as Sauvignon blanc. Originally established by Beringer Vineyards, today several outstanding producers claim acreage here. The circadian cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean create a nighttime respite for vineyards during the hot growing season.