Winemaker Notes
Raeburn is a nod to classic California Chardonnay - elegant and expressive with intense fruit character, creaminess and toasty vanilla.
Professional Ratings
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The Somm Journal
One of the most elegant, mouth filling Chardonnays from this region—its stellar aromas of lemon verbena and spearmint fascinate. A creamy wash on the entry carries savory herbs and chamomile as key lime saturates the tongue; its citrusy sweetness accents the wine’s high-toned acidity.
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James Suckling
This has a very rich and fleshy feel with intense, ripe peaches that pervade the nose and palate. There’s a really concentrated feel here. Ripe, too. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a creamy, voluptuous and richly layered white wine, smooth and overdelivering on its price point in appealing flavors of peach and vanilla.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Raeburn Chardonnay shows pleasing layers on the palate and a succulent in the finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine presents aromas and flavors of ripe, peach skin, sweet spices, and oak. Enjoy it with light appetizers or by itself. (Tasted: May 11, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.