Winemaker Notes
This wine is our distinctive expression of world-class Chardonnay that can be produced from the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard. Our flagship Chardonnay offers elegant aromas of jasmine and sandalwood along with richer notes of brioche and butterscotch. On the palate, lively minerality adds complexity to notes of pear, green apple and lemon. Rich, elegant and luxurious, this Chardonnay has a satiny smooth finish with a delightful touch of cinnamon, vanilla and hard spices.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard delivers intense grapefruit, lemon curd and white peach notes with hints of cedar, nutmeg, fresh ginger and marzipan with a waft of beeswax. The medium-bodied palate delivers on flavors, with bags of citrus and spice characters, supported by a creamy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a terrific site in the Santa Lucia Highlands that doesn't get the recognition it deserves, the 2015 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard sports a light gold color to go with a terrific bouquet of stone fruits, apple blossom, hints of minerality and white flowers. Medium-bodied, clean, crystalline and elegant on the palate, with a great finish, it's a wine that grows on you with time in the glass and I suspect will age nicely for at least 6-7 years.
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.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.