Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More fresh and lively, with a tad more precision and cut than the Chardonnay Four, the 2014 Chardonnay Golden Slope offers classy notes of citrus blossom, white flowers, salt block and hints of minerality. Medium to full-bodied, pure, elegant and balanced, it spent 15 months in 15% new French oak before bottling. It, too, should cruise for at least 5-6 years.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Light Marcona almonds, lemon curd on toast and Gravenstein apples converge for a delicate yet warmer style of Chard on this easy-to-quaff combo of seven top vineyards, including Bentrock, Rita's Crown, Clos Peper, Kessler-Haak, La Rinconada, Zotovich, and Hilliard Bruce. Buttered brioche, a drizzle of lemon oil and a touch of crushed walnuts and almonds arise on the palate.
-
Wine & Spirits
This brings together the richer lots in Liquid Farm’s cellar. It’s a posh 2014, pulled between luscious butterscotch richness and salty coastal minerality. That salty element wins out, drawing the apricot-scented ripeness into a racy line of flavor.
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.