Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Honeydew, white peach, honeysuckle, sea salt and toast make for a fairly exuberant nose on this bottling by Gavin Chanin from the region's iconic property. There is a savory salt character right away on the sip, then come rounded flavors of nectarine, red apple and Asian pear. A bright electric acidity enlivens the full mouthfeel.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard has beautiful honeysuckle, peach blossoms and candied ginger scents over a core of ripe pears and spiced apples. Light to medium-bodied with wonderfully delicate, multilayered flavors, it has a satiny texture and long, mineral-laced 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.