Winemaker Notes
Sandy soils offer a lighter, leaner palate with focus on the energy and aromatics coming from this site.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay Zotovich Vineyard is youthfully coiled on the nose and takes plenty of air to reveal scents of matchstick, roasted almonds, beeswax, yellow apple and quince. The palate, however, is bursting with pure flavors! It has a satiny texture that coats the mouth and a foil of tangy acidity calls you back to the glass after every sip. It will benefit from 2-3 years in bottle. 119 cases were made. Rating: 95+
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.