Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Very powerful, very strong, almost overwhelming in the sheer wealth of fruit and oak, but balanced with acidity. Winemaker Bob Cabral himself calls it “concentrated.” It detonates on the palate with an almost dessert wine quality of lemons, pineapples, honey, vanilla and minerals, but it's totally dry. Will hold for perhaps six years.
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Wine & Spirits
From a hillside in the southwestern corner of the Russian River Valley, this chardonnay makes a cool impression with its pear and lemongrass flavors. The oak is a little primary for now, with nut and caramel flavors over the fruit. But it's the chardonnay flavor that persists. Age this a year or two to let the fruit come forward, then match its flavors with the pine nuts and currants of a Zuni roast chicken and bread salad.
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Wine Spectator
Floral, honeysuckle, spice and leesy, pithy citrus peel scents are full-bodied on the palate, with lively acidity and spice and citrus notes. Gains depth and complexity on the finish, where a pleasant minerality folds in.
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 standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.