Winemaker Notes
Delicate aromas of green apple and bright minerality carry over to the palate, with ripe mandarin and honeydew melon. Light- to medium-bodied; the vibrant fruit and robust acidity create seamless texture and structure with great tension and length.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
This Chard shows body and style in droves. Its aromas of green apple are an intriguing nod to the orchard that once was located on this vineyard site; the grapes are sourced from vines planted in 2000 and situated on both sides of wetlands preserved by the winery. Loam soils and the breeze from the San Pablo Bay lend to its hallmark searing acidity. Layered flavors of caramel, orange, and chamomile balance atop a thread of minerality
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a richly layered, lush and oak-driven white, entirely barrel-fermented and generous in vanilla, nutmeg and clove flavors. Those spicy, sweet tones match well against a landscape of apple, mango and fig.
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.