Winemaker Notes
In the glass, the 2019 Luli Chardonnay sports a golden hued core that stretches out to its rim with youthful shades of green. Fresh aromas of juicy red apple, nectarine, and white flower blossoms encompass chalky, mineral driven undertones, enticing the senses before the first sip. 100% neutral French oak aging and exclusion of malolactic fermentation provide a complex and textured experience on the palate. A flinty, mineral driven core mingles with notes of crisp
pear, yellow peach, and hints of vanilla and baking spice are speared by a backbone of fresh acidity, providing a vibrant and refreshing finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands is also terrific. Coming from a great, cooler region south of Monterey, it has a vibrant nose of melon and ripe orchard fruits as well as some spice and toasty notes. Balanced, medium-bodied, and nicely textured, with a juicy spine of acidity, it's well worth seeking out and would be one heck of a house white to drink over the coming couple of years.
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.