Winemaker Notes
#89 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
The distinctly rocky soils of this classic Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard shine again; this time in the form of the 2021 Lucia Soberanes Vineyard Chardonnay. Packed within a pale lemon hue and tinges of youthful green, this wine offers brazen aromas of lime zest, crisp pear, and stone fruits up front while undertones of marzipan and chalky minerals develop as moments pass. On the palate, this Chardonnay is driven by striking notes of lemon meringue, red apple, and a hint of toasted vanilla bean. Enjoy over time as subtleties gain depth and power. The wine culminates in a textured and long finish that is carried along by vibrant acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The light gold-hued 2021 Chardonnay Soberanes Vineyard is straight-up gorgeous, with melon, papaya, minty herbs, and honeyed minerality in its medium-bodied, vibrant, layered, lengthy profile. From a great vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, aged 17 months in 35% new French oak, it has good concentration (it's not massive), bright, integrated acidity, and it blossoms with time in the glass.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay Soberanes Vineyard was matured for 15 months in 35% new French oak. It has mineral-driven scents of iodine and river stone with nuances of beeswax, cashew and jasmine. The light-bodied palate features a slowly unfurling core of honeyed flavors. Its gently creamy texture is balanced by bright acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish.
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Wine Spectator
Supple and elegant, with a fleshy core of peach, white raspberry and lemon curd flavors that are generous and focused. Delivers details of salted butterscotch, lime zest, wild fennel and lemon blossoms, with salty minerality leaving a fresh, detailed finish. Drink now through 2030.
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.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.