Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe 2019 Chardonnay Proprietor Selection needs a fair bit of swirling to reveal glorious notes of warm apricots, fresh grapefruit, lemon tart and fresh Bosc pears with touches of beeswax, allspice, candied ginger and toasted almond. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has tightly wound citrus and stone fruit layers with a satiny texture and fantastic freshness, finishing with loads of spice and mineral sparks. This is one beautifully crafted Napa Valley Chardonnay!
Coming all from Carneros, the 2019 Chardonnay Proprietor Selection is a rich, medium-bodied, nicely oaked Chardonnay offering beautiful buttered orchard fruits, Meyer lemon, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. It packs plenty of fruit yet stays balanced and elegant, with solid acidity and a great finish. Drink bottles over the coming couple of years.
A medium-to full-bodied white with aromas of peach, pineapple and lemon curd on the nose. Wet stones, too. Crisp, creamy and clean. Drink now.
A reserve-tier wine only made in certain years, this is meant to represent the best barrels of the vintage. Juicy, robust and oak-driven in style, it shows stone fruit, pineapple and creme brûlée flavors, with nutmeg and vanilla accents.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.
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.