Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Chardonnay Estate is a bright straw yellow hue and was aged for 10 months in 30% new French oak. It’s expressive on opening, with notes of honeysuckle, melon, fresh pear, and candied citrus. Medium to full-bodied, it’s juicy on the palate, with a lovely, elegant feel and a kiss of sweet fruit through the finish.
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James Suckling
The nose is rich and powerful, with notes of preserved lemons, apricots, nectarines and flint. The palate is full-bodied and textured, with bright acidity and fresh notes of lemon curd, lime zest and biscuits. Made from multiple vineyards on this mountain estate with an average vine age of 25 years. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Spice notes of nutmeg, cardamom and candied ginger give way to fresh and crisp lemon, apple and pomelo flavors, with accents of pear pastry and marmalade, plus a hint of wintergreen. Impressive for the complexity and harmony on the finish. Drink now. 2,434 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.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.