Winemaker Notes
Enjoy with Poached Salmon, Meyer Lemon Risotto or Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Always one of my favorite whites from Fess Parker, the 2014 Chardonnay Ashley’s Vineyard is primarily from the Rancho Las Hermanas Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills (all sandy soils) and is barrel-fermented and aged nine months in 30% new French oak. Ripe peach orchard fruits and tons of salty minerality emerge from this fleshy, textured, medium-bodied Chardonnay that has a great mix of richness and freshness. Drink over the coming 2-4 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Light aromas of beeswax, crushed chalk and scratch lemon skins emerge steadily on the nose of this single vineyard bottling, which carries lots of life and would thrive in a cellar. The chalky texture of the palate frames red apple, yellow pear, lime rind and sea salt flavors, with lots of acidic sizzle.
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Wine & Spirits
There's clean vibrancy to this chardonnay, grown on a sandy hillside 12 miles from the Pacific. Its juicy yellow-raspberry flavor is confidently ripe, yet tightens in the end on salty coastal acidity, pithy rather than fat. For salt cod croquettes.
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.