Winemaker Notes
Wonderfully tuned in a tight, crystalline, vibrant blend between two outstanding vineyard sources in the Sta. Rita Hills ( Zotovich Family and Sanford & Benedict). This wine sings with notes of lemon curd, citrus blossom, Bartlett pear, graham, turmeric, cashew nut, and hints of nutmeg. Bright acidity keeps this delicate wine light on its feet, with intense depth, great length, nuance, and complexity.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County has pretty scents of golden apples, crushed almonds, spring honey, créme fraîche and wafts of flint. The medium-bodied palate is silky and elegant, with focused, energetic acidity, a concentrated core of toasty fruit and a long, gently creamy finish. Lovely! All that fresh acidity will allow this to pair widely at the table.
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Wine & Spirits
Deovlet’s appellation wine is less structured than his single vineyard chardonnays, but it’s delicious in its own right, with scents of halvah and caramel, and flavors to match. The wine is held within a terse structure, leading to a finish that hints at white flowers.
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.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.