Winemaker Notes
The 2019 FOUR Chardonnay has notes of lemon curd, gala apple, sea salt, orange flowers and white nectarine. A very expressive and deceptively rich wine.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay Four is stunning, with a detailed, singular perfume of baked apples and preserved lemon with touches of curry spice and graphite. The full-bodied palate is satiny and textural, combining nutty, honeyed fruits, tangy acidity and stony mineral character, and it finishes with tremendous length. What an incredible expression!
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.