Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This grows on the east side of the Hills, where the fruit can capture a modicum of warmth. The wine smells of wet loam and sea air, with a walnut-skin lining. Flavors of crisp apple and lemon channel those mineral notes toward a brisk, taut finish. For plank-roasted trout. Best Buy
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Decanter
The Melville family farms 49ha organically in heart of this cool-climate AVA, adopting a minimalist approach in the cellar. This entry-level Chardonnay is broad and expansive, with forward aromas of green fig, celery and grapefruit, and a fresh yet creamy palate of lemon curd, toasted almonds, warm hay and sweet oak spice.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The larger production 2016 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills offers a more tropical, upfront, perfumed style compared to the Clone 76 Inox release. White peach, pineapple, citrus, and floral notes, medium-bodied richness, solid acidity, and a crisp, clean finish all make for a delicious, high quality Chardonnay that has loads to love.
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.