Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
The cool climes of Russian River are reflected in the leaner and slightly angular aspects of this nervy young Chardonnay, but for all of its briskness, the wine musters a fair showing of relatively deep fruit, and, in the end, its sins seem no more than those of extreme youth. Its flashes of sweet apples and oak are under-scored by a long line of firm acid, yet its course is set first and foremost by persistent fruit, and it is all but guaranteed to gain further beauty with age
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More tropical fruit and honeysuckle notes are found in the 2007 Chardonnay Russian River. Good underlying acidity buttresses the wine’s considerable fruit and body, resulting in a vivacious mouthfeel as well as a chalky minerality. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.
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.