Winemaker Notes
Dynamic and snappy scents of stone fruit, Himalayan sea salt and ylang-ylang fill the nose. Intense and refreshing acidity on the palate is supported by notes of grilled apricot, fresh Meyer lemon, juicy white strawberry and lime zest. Each sip crescendos with a lengthy and satisfying finish.
Enjoy this wine with a poke bowl, fish tacos with mango salsa, or uni pasta.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
More pear, white flowers, minty herbs, and chalky mineral notes emerge from the 2022 Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox, another vibrant Chardonnay offering terrific mid-palate depth, high yet integrated acidity, and a clean, subtly salty finish. I love its overall balance, and it too should have 7-8 years, most likely even longer, of overall longevity.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox has pure scents of green pear, quince, bread dough and cashew with streaks of petrichor. The medium-bodied palate offers the same purity of green fruit and floral flavors. It has juicy acidity and a long, flavorful finish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A light hue in the glass, this cleanly expressed wine pops with jasmine, lime and pear flesh on the tropical-leaning nose. Acidity zips throughout the palate, cutting through those floral and fresh fruit flavors.
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.