Winemaker Notes
This wine very much speaks of the warm 2022 vintage, with a little softer acidity than the 2021, and with a little more forward fruit. It has classic Bien Nacido aromas of apples, tropical fruits and hints of citrus, all wrapped up with some creamy new oak aspects.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Brisk apple peel and light peach aromas are sliced by a stony streak of wet rocks on the compelling nose of this bottling from the historic vineyard where this winery is based. The texture of the palate is extremely vibrant and stony, giving a mineral edge to the brisk yellow apple, Meyer lemon and honeydew flavors.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chardonnay Bien Nacido was matured for 10 months in 25% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling scents of white peach, roasted almonds, tarragon and jasmine. The medium-bodied palate is rounded and refreshing with a deep core of nuanced fruit, and it has a long finish with a touch of textural grip.
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.