Winemaker Notes
This focused, elegant chardonnay features aromas of lemon, pearberry, and baking spices, complemented by flavors of pineapple, lemon curd, and a hint of butterscotch on the palate. Incredibly food-friendly, the Highland Chardonnay is a perfect match for white fish, poultry, and light pasta dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Aged eight months in (25% new) French oak, this startlingly focused Chardonnay tastes of luscious pear crème, honeysuckle, and toasted brioche. Lemon meringue suits up on the midpalate before ripe pineapple and a pinch of salty stone take over on the finish.
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James Suckling
Pure and precise aromas of lemon zest, flint and orange blossoms. The palate is medium-bodied with tightly wound acidity supported by a creamy texture, giving notes of lime curd, almond meal and grapefruit. Citrus driven with a nicely integrated, underlying power.
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Wine Enthusiast
White melon, crisp nectarine and apple slice aromas are cut by sea salt on the cohesive nose of this bottling. There’s a sharper, crystalline focus to the palate, where citrus edges cut into the warmer cantaloupe and tropical touches, with lively acidity throughout.
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Wine Spectator
Fragrant and juicy, with flavors of salted, preserved lemons, ripe melon, peach preserves and orange blossoms. Pineapple, toffee, nutmeg and lime zest notes linger, with plenty of intensity on the finish. Drink now. 7,854 cases made.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Highland is ample and lively, opening with an uncomplicated nose of golden apple, nectarine and savory herbs. A nicely measured inner sweetness makes this approachable and easy to like. The 25% new oak is skillfully integrated, adding a spicy kick through the focused finish.
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.