Winemaker Notes
The variability of flavors and maturity around these terraced blocks provide a broad spectrum of bright flavors and a backbone of minerality that shines through the bright finish. With just a splash of the floral 809 clone from Matanzas Creek Vineyard in Bennett Valley, the Sonoma County Chardonnay offers plenty of bright, juicy fruit with old-world finesse and minerality.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Aromas of peach and vanilla wafer lead to a profile of cinnamon toast and lemon wedge. Crushed stone and Italian herbs keep the momentum going, adding layers to the wine's character.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The first vintage of the 2023 Chardonnay Sonoma County, it comes from Cougar Ridge, with a splash from Matanzas. The nose opens to notes of fresh chamomile, dewy wet stones, fresh yellow apples, and honied citrus. The palate is fruity and fresh, with a medium to full-bodied frame, and it has a suggestion of sweet citrus and melony fruit along with a clean, silky finish.
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Wine Spectator
Pear, tangerine and lemon zest notes are fresh, juicy and focused, with details of spices and candied orange peel, plus a touch of salted caramel that lingers on the finish, where this finds harmony. Drink now. 6,236 cases made.
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 a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.