Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Lush without being overtly oaky in aroma, this wine has a wonderful, creamy texture, lots of ripe pear and melon flavors, full body and a nicely viscous mouthfeel. Pair its richness with richness, counterpointing scallops or even a steak.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A well-rounded effort, the 2015 Vigilance Chardonnay offers ripe apple flavors, with a lovely accent of butterscotch. The wine's pleasing textures and easy finish makes it excellent cocktail wine. (Tasted: March 20, 2017, 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.
Located within the greater Clear Lake appellation, the Red Hills AVA is perhaps the hottest spot right now in Lake County for new Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. Recognizing the potential of its volcanic and obsidian heavy soils, many respected growers are flocking to the area. Andy Beckstoffer, a leader in escalating the quality and recognition of Napa Valley, has already invested heavily in the area.