Winemaker Notes
This light, straw-hued wine has aromas of citrus, jasmine and lightly toasted hazelnut. The bright, clean minerality on the palate gives way to notes of Meyer lemon preserves, lime zest and white nectarine with a subtle finish of toasted graham.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This bottling checks a number of boxes, from the zesty lemongrass to damp chalk to honeydew and pineapple rind aromas. The fresh and full palate is tight in texture, with flashy citrus leading into rounded tropical fruit flavors.
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.