Winemaker Notes
One whiff reveals this is obviously Chardonnay made in an old world style. Minerality and reduction from extended lees contact, reminds us of Burgundy. Sweet barrel spice mixes nicely with a lemon limey note. Surprising rich on the palate, classic varietal flavors of apple, citrus and vanilla go on and on.
This lively Chardonnay will go with wide assortment of foods. Lobster Pappardelle with chive butter, or fresh corn soufflé with bacon and comté cheese are just a couple of favorites with this wine.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard comes from a Grand Cru site in the Santa Maria Valley and was fermented and aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. This Burgundian beauty gives up lots of caramelized citrus, toasted bread, and spice-driven aromatics and shows medium-bodied richness on the palate, with bright acidity and some classic Santa Maria salinity and seaside-like nuances. You can drink bottles today, yet they'll also keep for over a decade.
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Wine & Spirits
This is one of Jim Clendenen’s more iconic, and idiosyncratic, bottlings, all salt and smoke when first poured, flashy new oak worn on its sleeve. But it tames with air, turning elegant and exotic, toward mesquite smoke and golden caramel, salted apple and citrus, with a finish as buttery and generous as piecrust. A performance for the long term; cellar.
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 lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.