Winemaker Notes
The 2016 vintage was a near perfect growing season, and the resulting wines from this vintage show incredible depth and concentration, balanced by a beautiful elegance and brightness. The 2016 Estate Chardonnay is a wonderful example of the vintage. Showcasing all the characteristics our Chardonnay fans have come to appreciate, and highlighted by the story Mother Nature helped us tell, this wine has a bright golden hue, while the aromatics explode with notes of lemon crème brûlée, honeydew melon, candied citrus and fresh honey. A rich, creamy and seamless texture is lifted by our signature bright acid, culminating in a long, mineral-driven finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel sample, the 2016 Chardonnay Estate opens with exuberant pineapple, guava and ripe apricot notes with hints of preserved citrus peel, candied ginger and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied with a gorgeous creaminess to the texture, it fills the mouth with tropical fruit and spicy layers, finishing long and yeasty/savory.
Range: (92-94)+
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Wine Spectator
Creamy textured, rich and full, with fig, melon, butterscotch, anise and smoky, toasty oak notes that linger and add texture and dimension. Drink now through 2023.
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.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.