Winemaker Notes
Complex and restrained. Roasted nuts and nougat. Underlying citrus blossom. Ample texture. Long fine acidity
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Despite being fermented in 100% new French oak, the 2016 Finisterre Chardonnay is only lightly toasty, with scents of pineapple and tangerine complemented by hints of toasted cereal grains and subtle vanilla shadings. This is a medium-bodied, silky-textured Chardonnay with so much elegance and finesse it runs the risk of being too fine. Flavor isn't a bad thing!
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Wine Enthusiast
Complexity and longevity are the name of the game here. This shows a restrained nose of melon, smoke, nuts and a little buttery oak. The palate is really where it's at, weaving those same flavors seamlessly together. With a chalky texture and a good lick of acidity, everything is in balance here, setting this wine up for plenty of years of life. Drink now–2025.
Cellar Selection
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.
Home to some of Australia’s most elegant and long-lived red and white wines, Margaret River is situated in the farthest reaches of Western Australia. Relatively warm and dry, the region is cooled by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Margaret River takes some inspiration from Bordeaux, producing top-quality Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux Blends with firm structure, mouthwatering acidity, balanced alcohol and notes of herbs and spice. For white wines, refreshing blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as well as complex, age-worthy Chardonnays are regional specialties.