Winemaker Notes
Charles Heintz is defined by its honeysuckle and floral notes. Richer in body, yet acidic and gorgeously textured. Bounding out with fresh nectarines, Golden Delicious apples, and pink grapefruit with hints of nutmeg, and candied ginger. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with fruit and spicy layers, framed by a silky texture, finishing long. This is a consistent favorite of the Senses team!
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of oyster shells, lemons, limes, honeysuckle and flint. Medium-bodied with depth and a solid character. Graphite and matchsticks on the palate. Lots of flavor.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant yellow with a green-tinged hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard was raised in 25-40% new French oak. Focused and persistent, it opens in the glass to notes of citrus blossoms, lime, white peach, flint, and crushed stones. Concentrated yet weightless, the pedigree of this site really comes through on the palate, with a glycerol texture yet a weightless feel and mouthwatering saline along the sides of the palate through an elegant and long finish. Rating: 95+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard opens with aromas of struck flint that slowly give way to saline, oyster shell, apples and spice. The medium-bodied palate is understated with silky, mineral-driven flavors foiled by mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, dynamic finish. Rating: 93+
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.