Winemaker Notes
This Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is produced with the minimal use of new oak, to allow the bright varietal character to shine through. It was harvested from selected vineyards located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, including the cooler microclimates of western Carneros. It has an elegant citrus aroma with hints of pineapple and white peach. The palate opens with delicate flavors of quince and stone fruits and finishes with a mouthwatering acidity. Try it paired with aged cheeses such as Gouda or Manchego, or with delicate seafood dishes, soups, and pastas.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
A portion of this wine aged sur lie in neutral oak barrels; the result, offering lemon ice, white grapefruit, honeysuckle, and peach meringue, is startlingly clean, crisp, and crystal in clarity. The enhanced texture brings out the best of its character.
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James Suckling
Aromas of fresh linen, straw, matchstick and pink grapefruit. Well-balanced with medium body and a soft finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Schug Chardonnay is fresh and well-balanced. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of ripe apple, savory spices, and sandalwood. Serve it with lightly-spiced, rotisserie chicken. (Tasted: September 11, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Schug Winery was founded in 1980 with unwavering dedication to Pinot Noir excellence—a specialization that spans 45 years and sets them apart from generalist wineries. Walter Schug, the legendary winemaker who created Joseph Phelps' iconic Insignia, established his legacy in Carneros, where low-intervention Old World winemaking meets California terroir.
Today, 5th-generation German winemaker Johannes Scheid continues this authentic heritage with wines that consistently score 90+ points across their entire portfolio. Johannes trained at Walter's alma mater in Germany, bringing multi-generational European winemaking expertise to their sustainable California practices.
What makes Schug exceptional is their genuine commitment to specialization and authenticity. While others spread their focus across multiple varietals, they've perfected their craft with nearly half a century devoted to exceptional Pinot Noir. This deep expertise, combined with their European winemaking tradition and compelling value proposition, has driven their national expansion and established Schug as a trusted name among wine enthusiasts who appreciate both heritage and quality.
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.