Winemaker Notes
A fresh style of Chardonnay. The texture is not rich by any means but has plenty of California generosity with a focus that speaks to the Santa Maria Valley vineyard. Notes of stone fruit and citrus expressions with only a hint of tropical notes in the background.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Broad peach, cherimoya and almond aromas are cut by Meyer lemon, orange peel and a lightly grassy element on the nose of this bottling. A very racy acidity frames the sip, where lemon-peel flavors slice deep into the finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Santa Maria Valley, the 2017 Chardonnay Dierberg Vineyard offers lots of spice, brioche, and toasty characteristics as well as a medium-bodied, fresh, lively and elegant style on the palate. It’s terrific value at the price and has lots of class.
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 lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.