Winemaker Notes
This wine presents vibrant aromas of citrus and ripe apricot. On the palate, it offers fruit-driven layers of white peach, baked apple, vanilla cream, and caramel. Smooth and elegant, it shows a touch of richness that leads into a long, silky finish. The grapes benefited from a long growing season and extended hang time, creating expressive flavors, vibrant acidity, and ideal balance. Aged for six months in 100% French oak, the wine gains added depth and texture. It pairs wonderfully with butternut squash risotto, shrimp scampi, herb-grilled chicken, or baked salmon with lemon-dill slaw.
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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.