Winemaker Notes
Complex and compelling the 2018 Sangicomo Chardonnay has bright aromatics of lemon curd, freshly cut feijoa, orange blossom, tarragon, raw honey and a subtle touch of ?inty notes. On the palate it has a brilliant citrus entry, lemon lime acidity throughout, contrasted beautifully with powerful texture from aging on the lees and a satisfying long ?nish of lemon tart. Well-drained, silty gravel soil imparts minerality and a complex richness.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with notes of fresh grapefruit, lemon meringue pie and Bosc pears plus hints of lime cordial and coriander seed with a waft of chalk dust. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and refreshing, delivering a fantastic intensity of citrus and mineral flavors with a racy backbone, finishing long and layered.
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Tasting Panel
An alluring perfume of kiwi, pineapple, and custard heralds this bright, crisp-textured white, which has a cut-glass effect on first sip. Its creamy body is edged in slate, balancing the richness. Just-ripe pineapple aligns with pitch-perfect acidity.
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Wine Enthusiast
With Philippe Melka and team now at the helm of these wines, this is amongst the first from the producer to source outside of the estate. From the great farmers that are the Sangiacomo family, this is a rich and mineral-driven white, with high acidity underlying the robust, balanced layers of pear, Meyer lemon and baking spice.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Bright, juicy notes of lemon zest, white flowers, and salty minerality emerge from the 2018 Chardonnay Sangiacomo Roberts Road. It's medium-bodied and has bright acidity, rock solid balance, and a great finish.
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.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.