Winemaker Notes
This Chardonnay makes a perfect accompaniment to chicken Dijon, turkey thighs stuffed with porcini mushrooms, or Caesar salad.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Made for wide-market penetration, the delicious 2016 Crusher Chardonnay is tasteful and appealing. This wine deftly combines ripe fruit with some oak nuances making it a delightful luncheon wine. Enjoy this it with cold turkey sandwiches and a side of fresh, lightly-dressed salad greens. (Tasted: January 26, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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.
The vineyards just inland from the Sacramento River Delta, along the deep banks of the Sacramento River, comprise the Clarksburg AVA. The River Delta channels in cold air and fog from the Pacific Ocean creating a cooling effect in this area. Warm summer days quickly change to chilly evenings and make a great environment for grape growing. While a range of grape varieties grow here, Chenin blanc stands out the most, distinguishing itself in the appellation.
The Clarksburg Wine Growers and Vintners Association, made up of nearly 50 grower members and over a dozen wineries, has been working since the late 1980s to promote the high quality wine of its region.