LUTUM Gap's Crown Chardonnay 2015
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International
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This vineyard is a Region 1 cool-climate zone, offering the grapes extended hang time, while maintaining nice acidity. The fruit was picked early in the morning and was then pressed and put into French oak barrels (25% new) to ferment. After 15 months, the wine was racked and lightly fined and put back in barrel before being
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Wine Enthusiast
A shy, floral nose subtly emanates from the glass in this lightly built, elegant expression from the spectacular vineyard in the Petaluma Gap. Anise, sea salt and preserved lemon flavors form its foundation; subtle oak and tense acidity provide support.
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International Wine Cellar
The 2015 Gap's Crown Chardonnay is a classic display of Somona Coast Chardonnay. It opens to bright aromas of lemon peel, tropical fruits, vanilla blossom, tangerine, and spring flowers, which all take shape beautifully in the glass. The palate offers a viscous texture and is balanced with fresh minerality and vibrant acidity through the finish. Fantastic today and will continue to gain complexity with additional bottle age. (Best 2018-2026)
Other Vintages
2016-
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Dunnuck
Jeb
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Enthusiast
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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 vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.