Winemaker Notes
Medium straw in color; aromas of D’anjou pear and Golden Delicious apple with hints of lemon curd and vanilla custard; fresh acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Enjoy on its own or pair it with roast or grilled chicken, lightly creamed pastas and seasonal salads.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Both barrel and stainless-steel fermented, this is a bright, balanced white wine that shows a juicy core of pear and apple. Lively and weighty, it has substance and style within a context of vibrant acidity and earthy stone.
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James Suckling
A pretty tight Napa chardonnay with cooked apples, cream, crushed cement and hints of flint. It’s medium-bodied with a tight, firm finish. Drink now.
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.