Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A youthful bright medium yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard is my favorite of these white wines from Williams Selyem. It comes from the southern edge of the Green Valley at 700-800 feet elevation, where the vineyard just reaches the fog line and is warm during the day and cool at night. In the glass, the wine opens to notes of fresh pineapple, honeyed citrus, golden apples, delicate baking spice, and vanilla.
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Wine Enthusiast
Vibrant aromas of quince, Key lime, green apple and honeysuckle erupt from the nose of this energetic and exciting wine. The palate screams with citrus energy, from tangerine peel to ripe Meyer lemon, with fresh white flower and white cherry.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard was barrel fermented and matured for 13 months in 27% new oak. It opens with integrated matchstick tones that complement aromas of yellow apple, apricot, candle smoke and beeswax. The medium-bodied palate features ripe, gently exotic flavors driven by a pleasurably grippy texture. It’s balanced by vibrant acidity and has a long, flavorful finish.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and expressive, showing Honeycrisp apple, pineapple and mango flavors on a crisp, sleek frame, with notes of green cardamom and green tea, plus a touch of vanilla custard. Drink now. 212 cases made.
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.