Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay 2021
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The hue of this wine is brilliantly clear, golden straw—a color that dramatically sets the stage for what is to come. This wine opens with flavors of pear and apple with hints of citrus and tropical notes, followed by flavors of toasted sweet oak and crème brûlée for a rich, round mouthfeel with balanced acidity and minerality on the finish.
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For over 140 years, SIMI has been producing world-class wines and is one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in California history. Founded by brothers Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, who immigrated to California from Italy, SIMI has been making wine in Healdsburg, California since 1876. Isabelle Simi, daughter of Giuseppe, took over management of the winery for over 70 years and today, her spirit of determination continues to drive the female led winemaking team. Simi produces quality wines sourced from the best of Sonoma County and crafts a range of remarkable offerings. SIMI’s Sonoma County-designate wines include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc and delivers true-to-fruit expressions of Sonoma every vintage. SIMI’s Reserve tier offers distinct Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Cabernet Sauvignons from noteworthy Sonoma sub-AVAs and single vineyard designates including the Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley.
The winemaking team at SIMI is led by Lisa Evich. Lisa began her career at SIMI, spending nine years with the winery before diversifying her experience with positions at Pine Ridge and Arrowood. SIMI welcomed her home as winemaker creating world-class wines. The one word that Lisa would use to describe SIMI wines is "timeless." Through meticulous care and attention in both the vineyards and the winery, she works to maintain the timelessness of both SIMI and Sonoma County.
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.