Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The base 2018 Chardonnay comes 77% from Napa County and 23% from Sonoma County and had a portion of the malolactic fermentation blocked. It’s another richly textured, opulent white from this team that has plenty of white currant and peach fruits as well as a touch of green almonds, honeyed lime, and white flower. Nicely textured, balanced, and with a great finish, drink this pleasure bent Chardonnay over the coming 2-4 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay comes 77% from Napa county and 23% from Sonoma county and about one-third of the fruit went through malolactic. It gives up somewhat restrained notions of fresh pears, spiced apples and warm peaches with hints of nutmeg, lightly buttered toast and acacia honey. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs-in the fresh, crunchy apple and pears flavors with a racy backbone and silken textured 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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.