Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with sushi, oysters, or ceviche.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Tight aromas of light pineapple, Meyer lemon and waxy paraffin get the slightest hint of smoke on the nose of this blend from four renowned vineyards. The palate is framed by strong acidity and chalky tension that underlies the grapefruit and lemon flavors, which are brushed with a delicate stroke of butter.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay White Hill has a very pretty nose of honey toast, toasted hazelnut, white peach, lemon peel and Greek yogurt with a rocky mineral line. Medium-bodied, the palate is clean and fresh with nice flavor layers, tangy acidity and a long finish.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of freshly cut pineapple and smoky oak give way to a fruit mélange that’s rounded and golden. Despite that first impression of richness, the wine finishes tightly contoured and rippling with jangly acidity. It has the energy for pork loin.
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.