Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Extremely delicate on the nose, this wine from the historic vineyard shows bruised yellow grapefruit, sliced nectarine and crushed chalk aromas. The evolving palate starts daintily with cut apple and nectarine, then warms into seared peach, buttered popcorn and ripe pear flavors. A chalky, seashell-like structure and pithy texture ensure a long, interesting life.
Cellar Selection -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A saline, salty, white flowers and mineral-laced beauty that’s from one of the top sites in Santa Barbara, the 2014 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is fresh, elegant and downright classy, with vibrant acidity and a great finish. It's one of my favorite Chardonnays from winemaker Gavin Chanin.
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.