Winemaker Notes
This wine has great tension, mouthfeel, and focus. Notes of lemon, oyster-shell, and river rocks on both the nose and palate. This wine will continue to soften with age, but for those looking for an austere style of Chardonnay this will certainly not dissappoint.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay White Hill delivers an utterly pure bouquet with a deeply layered array of creamy, yeasty orchard fruit. Broad yet focused, concentrated yet driven. Chalk, white pepper and mint lend grip and mineral intensity to the long finish. Very impressive.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced from a variety of sites in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2023 Chardonnay White Hill matured entirely in neutral wood for nine months and is particularly overperforming this vintage. Yellow orchard fruits and pastry cream aromas are lifted by marine overtones and a touch of fennel, introducing an elegantly glossy palate with a pure, persistent and layered finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Barrel fermented and aged 10 months in neutral French oak, the 2023 Chardonnay White Hill reveals exotic stone fruits, honeyed melon, mint, and some subtle blanched almond notes. It's medium-bodied on the palate, with a bright, racy, slightly tart acid profile, yet it's nicely concentrated and has a good finish. Rating: 90+
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.