Winemaker Notes
Light yellow in color, with vibrant notes of salted apricot, sea mist and grilled Meyer lemon come through on the nose. Fresh impressions of watermelon rind, gala apple and jasmine frame a rich and smooth mouthfeel on the mid-palate, while a crisp streak of acidity and minerality anchors the wine’s energetic and focused finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay Estate opens with touches of flint and candle smoke, with youthful scents of lime peel and white flowers. The palate balances savory, nutty fruits with linear acidity and saline character, a dynamic that will help this wine gain complexity with time in bottle. Rating: 92+
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.