Winemaker Notes
Classically Bien Nacido, which is to say sun kissed with a cool ocean breeze. Perfectly ripened banana with a hint of fresh-baked rolls. A sweet and savory note comes through with Marcona almonds and sea salt. There is a richness and viscosity which ties it all together.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
With steep slopes and rocky soils at 200m-300m, and subject to cooling breezes from the Pacific ocean, Bien Nacido is one of the prime vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. This was whole cluster-pressed, then barrel-fermented with native yeasts. It then spent 16 months on lees in 45% new French oak. Ronan Sayburn MS: Well-structured, lean and fresh with greengages, apricots and tangerine peel. Gentle use of oak in the background. Eugenio Egorov: Super-precise and elegant. Very fresh fruit – lime peel, white peach and starfruit – with a pleasant note of vanilla and great acidity. Ben Gubbins: This reminds me of a good Cote d’Or blanc, with its green apple, citrus and white peach aromas, a savoury edge, good acidity and well-judged oak.
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Tasting Panel
Sourced from the oldest own-rooted plantings at Bien Nacido, this vintage is markedly dynamic, with a zing of sea salt and lemon zest. Bright notes of tarragon and honeyed pineapple meld with taut acidity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chardonnay Estate comes from the own-rooted old vines planted in 1973. It has pretty scents of golden apples, burnt lemon peel, dried tarragon and lots of spicy accents with a gentle creaminess in the background. Medium-bodied and satiny, the palate boasts concentrated citrus underpinned by sparks of mineral character and bright acidity, finishing long and mineral driven. Best after 2022.
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Wine Spectator
Remarkably intense and vivid, with white peach, Honeycrisp apple, tangerine and savory notes of tahini and crunchy sea salt, plus aromas of fresh-clipped herbs and green tea that linger on the long, expressive and sleek finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Tightly woven lemon peel, crushed stone and light nectarine aromas come through on the nose of this bottling. There’s a firm grip to the sip, where a sneaky acidity pops through the flavors of chalk, lemon and pineapple rind.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of pineapple and butterscotch give way to a golden apple intensity with a lemon-oil bite. Nutty lees frames the fruit, a mineral foundation that brings the wine into high focus. It has astonishing lift for all the moving parts.
Bien Nacido Vineyard, one of Santa Maria Valley’s first and most renowned cool-climate vineyards, has been a celebrated source of world-class grapes and estate wines since its founding by 4th generation farming brothers Bob and Steve Miller. The vineyard’s name, meaning "Well Born" in Spanish, reflects its deep historical roots, having been planted on the historic Rancho Tepusquet land grant. The Miller’s planted the first 300 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1973, capitalizing on the region's unique geography, climate, and meticulously farmed, sustainable vineyards. These ideal conditions have made Bien Nacido Estate Vineyards synonymous with distinctive and expressive wines.
Widely acclaimed, Bien Nacido has been recognized as one of the top 20 terroirs in the world by Wine Spectator and named by Wine Enthusiast as one of the 10 vineyards behind the world’s most famous wines. Known for its cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, the vineyard continues to thrive thanks to its remarkable terroir and a dedicated team that upholds its legacy of excellence with each passing vintage.
Looking ahead, the fifth generation of the Miller family is carrying this legacy forward, shaping the future of Bien Nacido with the same passion and commitment to quality. In 2005, they introduced the Bien Nacido Estate brand—a true reflection of their enduring dedication to farming and winemaking at this world-renowned vineyard. Each vintage is an opportunity to showcase the vineyard’s unique identity, offering a pure expression of the land that has defined Bien Nacido for generations.
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.