Winemaker Notes
This Chardonnay is a lovely representation of Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands. It opens with notes pineapple, peach and apricot that develop into flavors of honeydew melon and kiwi with a finish accented by vanilla and coconut. The wine is beautifully balanced with delightful acidity, mineral accents and a long, rich finish.
The layers of flavor in this wine make it an ideal pairing for a variety of foods. CRU recommends pairing it with grilled salmon or chicken. It also pairs beautifully with lobster or shrimp in a butter and garlic sauce.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay SLH Smith & Lindley Vineyard is a potent, bold wine that’s actually quite charming in all its pomp and circumstance. It’s certainly not shy, kicking down the door with a blast of orange peel, sweet butter and toasty vanilla—toeing the line but never crossing it. Juicy and textural, this big boy of a Chardonnay has plenty of up-front appeal. Readers who like their white wines dialed up to 11 should give this a spin.
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.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.