Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the 2017 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands, which comes from top sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands and was fermented and aged all in barrel. This beauty has textbook notes of pear and orchard fruits, lots of honeysuckle and white flowers, medium body, and a rounded yet vibrant texture. With terrific purity of fruit as well as balance, it’s an incredibly high-quality Chardonnay that more than over-delivers at the price. Buy some.
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.