Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The Heintz Vineyard is on the outskirts of the AVA, really pushing toward the coast, with the expected cool-climate characteristics of fresh acidity and complex, savory tones. This wine wows in every way, from its notes of exotic coconut meat and apple pie to its tang of Meyer lemon, all accented by bergamot and anise. The spice rides a wave of body and length toward the finish, alongside an unmistakable streak of minerality. Hold through 2024.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Cut from very similar cloth as its sibling from the Olivet Lane Vineyard, this rich and yet zesty Chardonnay differs in small degrees. It is both vital and juicy with a continuous line of fruit that recalls green apples and sweet lemons with a trim touch of oak providing a gentle boost in richness. If never a dramatic or particularly powerful wine, it, too, shows great fruity purity and terrific finishing length, and, as delicious and engaging as it is now, it is in absolutely no danger of tiring and fading away any time soon.
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.