Winemaker Notes
When putting together the final blend for the Golden Slope, Liquid Farm is looking for barrels exhibiting a bit more richness and depth than the White Hill. Once those barrels are identified we introduce about 15% new French Oak and age the wine for 15 months prior to bottling.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chardonnay Golden Slope opens with pleasing reductive tones of graphite and roasted almonds, taking some time to reveal youthful tones of crème fraîche, crème brûlée and green herbs. The palate is creamy yet tangy, with a touch of texture that carries the long finish. It will benefit from another year or two in bottle to unwind.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Even better, the 2020 Chardonnay Golden Slope offers utterly classic Chardonnay notes of ripe orchard fruits, classy wood, brioche, and honeysuckle. The balance is spot on, it's medium-bodied, has integrated acidity, and a great finish. It brings a touch more mid-palate depth and richness compared to the White Hill release and should keep for a decade, although there's no need to delay gratification. This was brought up in mostly neutral French oak, with just 10% in new barrels.
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.