Winemaker Notes
Private Property Chardonnay is sourced from two sustainably farmed vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Harvested and sorted by hand at night. Pressed lightly and whole cluster in a Coquard Champagne press. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for six months in neutral French Oak barrels.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Green pear and lime aromas meet with chalk and crushed stone on the nose of this bottling. The palate is ripping with acidity and layered in texture, carrying bold flavors of apple flesh, melon rind and citrus zest.
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.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.