Winemaker Notes
Pair with dishes as diverse as pan seared halibut with a beurre blanc sauce, carbonara or Thai green curry with spring vegetables.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Some wines, while consistently fine, have remained below the radar screen. The 2015 vintage of the Rutherford Ranch Reserve Chardonnay brings the wine to the fore of the best examples from the Carneros AVA. TASTING NOTES: This is a satisfying effort. Its aromas and flavors of ripe apples and wood are nicely enhanced by the wine's lush textures and palate richness. Pair it with an oven-baked free-range, organic chicken. (Tasted: August 1, 2018, 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.
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.