Winemaker Notes
Aromas of lemon, kiwi, orange blossom, and sweet basil blend seamlessly with flavors of jasmine, lime, ginger, and mineral, while notes of peel, orange zest, and fresh sea salt contribute to a textured mouthfeel that ultimately harmonizes in the finished wine.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe orchard fruits, butted lemon, crushed stone, and salty, marine-influence notes all emerge from the 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills, a concentrated, medium to full-bodied Chardonnay with a liquid rock-like sense of minerality, beautiful mid-palate density, and a great finish. You should never underestimate these appellation releases from Greg Brewer. This is an insane value in top Chardonnay from California.
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James Suckling
Attractive aromas of candied lemons, peaches and dried mangoes with hints of honeysuckle and praline. Some crushed almonds, too. Medium- to full-bodied. Shows concentration, focus and tension. It has vivid acidity and delicious fruit with a bright, tangy feeling on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
There's terrific focus and intensity to the bright citrus flavors at the core of this white, with yuzu, ruby grapefruit, Meyer lemon and lime zest notes, plus plenty of salty, minerally accents that add a mouthwatering minerality, followed by hints of lemon basil that linger on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills opens with lots of flinty, matchstick tones over a core of spicy white peach and citrus blossoms. The light-bodied palate balances juicy acidity with a touch of textural grip. It has youthfully toasty, beeswax-laced fruit and a long, flinty finish. It will benefit from some time in a decanter.
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Wine Enthusiast
Citrusy tonic aromas meet with a light wood spice on the nose of this bottling. The palate brightens with lemon rind and balm flavors, as Mandarin orange pith and a zippy acidity pushes long into the finish.
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.