Winemaker Notes
Blend: 90% Chardonnay, 10% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of spiced apple, peach, lemon curd, almond and wet stone. Some chamomile and white pepper, too. It’s full-bodied and creamy with dense, ripe layers of stone and tropical fruit. Very subtle.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A new white wine, the 2019 Blanco was produced with Chardonnay and 10% Semillon from an old vineyard in the village of El Peral, fermented in concrete and 500-liter barrels. It's subtle and elegant, not very aromatic, a bit shy, with good ripeness and freshness reflecting a cool vintage. It matured in second and third use French barriques for eight months, and the oak feels completely integrated. It's supple and finishes dry.
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.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.