Winemaker Notes
Aromas of ripe apricot and pear with hints of orange blossom, lime zest, and sweet, toasty vanilla mingle with a palate that bursts with bright fruit, lively acidity, and subtle oak notes. This wine is drinking wonderfully now and will continue to develop for many years. Pairs with chicken, fish, cream based sauces, even has enough acidity to go well with filet mignon.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Green olive tapenade and dried herb highlight a richly concentrated expression of the grape, dark in color and generous in oak. Thick textured layers of complex apple, melon and stone fruit dance around firm, integrated tannin and a lengthy finish. This will do well with some further aging; enjoy best from 2025–2027.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 ZD Wines Reserve Chardonnay is an excellent example of a robust and firm Chard that emphasizes fruit, attractive oak nuances, and an excellent bite in the aftertaste. TASTING NOTES: This wine starts with deep color and proceeds to tantalize the palate with ripe apple, delicious barrel notes, and an elegant bright aftertaste. Pair it with shellfish in cream sauces. (Tasted: May 19, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.