Winemaker Notes
3D was the first vineyard planted by their estate farming team in 2007. While the majority of the nine acre parcel substantiates their Sta. Rita Hills bottling, this effort is sourced entirely from the bottom portion of the field. Mirroring the body of a fish, we planted leaner/firmer clones at the top of the vineyard leading down to more fleshy/oily selections at the lower section where the sand turns a bit darker. Wente and Mount Eden selections are, as such, congruous with Chotoro and Otoro within the body of a tuna. Barrel fermented in their oldest barrels where the wine remains on non-disturbed lees for sixteen months.
Similar in spirit to the Sta. Rita Hills yet with more exuberant aromatics coupled with a more luxurious and oily mouthfeel.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
My favorite of the Chardonnay releases is the 2018 Chardonnay 3D, and this beauty has everything you could want from a Sta. Rita Hills release. Medium gold-hued, with a stunning nose of stone fruits, white currants, crushed stone, toasted bread, and a hints of green almonds, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It's one of the finest Chardonnays in this report.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay 3D is a stunning wine with intense layers and mega intense perfume! It leaps from the glass with elderflower, quince, white peaches and baklava plus loads of honeyed nuances. The palate is medium-bodied and satiny with full, broad, perfectly ripe fruit character opposed by gently tangy acidity, and it finishes very long and very layered.
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Wine Spectator
This rich version is well-knit and minerally, with concentrated savoriness to the pure-tasting white fruit and spice flavors. White stone accents linger on the powerfully structured finish, with sea salt notes. Drink now through 2026.
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 superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.