Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Ojai Solomon Hills Chardonnay with the typical aromatic posse of pine, white flowers, and sea shell minerality. Those elements step into the background with air, as more concentrated fragrances of lemon curd and dried apple come forward, then more layers of chamomile and golden brioche really advance the wine's richness. This wine coats the mouth with fresh white stone fruit, savory pastry and stony minerals, while fine tannins pin down the wine's path as it makes broad curves across the palate.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, and my favorite of the trio, the 2018 Chardonnay Solomon Hills Vineyard comes from a great site located just to the west of Bien Nacido and was raised mostly in neutral barrels. Richer orchard fruits, orange blossom, spice, crushed rocks, and brioche notes define the bouquet of this classic Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay, which offers bright acidity and good concentration. It's certainly the richest of the three Chardonnays and is going to evolve for at least 7-8 years.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Solomon Hills begins with tones of flint, opening to floral notes with quince and nutty touches. It's medium-bodied, rounded and silky with expansive flavors refreshed by juicy acidity, and it finishes long and layered.
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 lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.