Winemaker Notes
From vines planted in 1969 and from the birthplace of the Rued clone, you could talk yourself into believing this was more Alsatian than Burgundian. Salted and candied tropical fruits dominate the aromatic and palate before all the old vine weight and acidity comes in to restore a sense of place and varietal.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Fresh Meyer lemon, pineapple and apricot pastry flavors are bold and generous on a juicy, fleshy frame. Details of ginger tea, kumquat marmalade and lemon oil add interest, and the vibrant acidity adds plenty of energy. The momentum leads to the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2037. 275 cases made.
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 vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.