Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard gives notes of fresh grapefruit, golden delicious apples and lemongrass with hints of baker’s yeast and buttered oatmeal. Medium-bodied with a lovely satiny texture, it fills the mouth with savory and warm apple flavors, finishing long with some spices coming through. At this very reasonable price, this is about to become my new, true comfort Chardonnay!
-
Wine Spectator
Refreshing, with a zesty fruit profile, this offers a citrusy mix of lemon and tangerine notes that hold up the pear and apple flavors. Light oak forms the backdrop. Drink now through 2020.
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.