Winemaker Notes
The 2024 Estate Chardonnay opens with lifted aromatics of citrus blossom and plumeria, layered over notes of golden apple and salted lemon peel. On the palate, dense fruit meets mouthwatering acidity, creating a compelling sense of tension that carries through a long, focused finish. A natural match for lemon pasta with pea tendrils.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Medium gold-hued, with stone fruits, orange blossom, salty, crushed stone-like minerality, and blanched almond aromatics, the 2024 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills was barrel-fermented and aged in neutral French oak. It's medium-bodied, with a pure, graceful mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and outstanding length. It's a classic Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay to drink over the coming 7-8 years and is beautifully done. Drink 2025-2033.
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Wine Spectator
Powerful and impressive for the purity of its core flavors of Meyer lemon, yuzu and citrine, which are propelled by very forward acidity, with details of salted Marcona almond and lemon basil on the finish. The smooth, lush body leaves an impression.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Chardonnay Estate beams from the glass with a floral, vibrant bouquet of citrus blossoms, green apples and mint. The palate is sleek, slender and refreshing, closing with a similarly bright, precise finish that continues its citrus-driven profile before lingering with subtle, nutty nuances. This is a solid, contemporary expression of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay to enjoy over the next 5–7 years.
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Vinous
The 2024 Chardonnay Estate is bright, fresh and youthful. Concentrated yellow fruit, mint, chamomile and chalk are underpinned by a zippy, forceful spine of lemon-drop acidity. Salty olive-brine notes on the finish draw a straight line to the Sta. Rita Hills. This is very expressive in the early going, especially considering its very recent bottling.
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.