Winemaker Notes
This fine wine possesses a great vibrancy and energy, and like its French name has a strong resemblance to Chassagne-Montrachet white Burgundy. On the nose it is lightly reduced, with subtle nuances of lemon curd, vanilla, and marshmallow. It finishes with substantial richness on the silky palate and zesty lemon-like acidity
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Chardonnay Ma Jolie Peake Ranch Vineyard also opens with a kiss of reduction. This gives way to more lemon-laced fruits, chalky minerality, tangerines, and exotic flower nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness, it's a ripe, fleshy, beautifully balanced 2022 that has a solid spine of acidity, as well as a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chardonnay Ma Jolie Peake Ranch Vineyard is a beautiful expression of this vineyard site, offering another level of depth and completeness from this relatively young site. The nose offers contemporary aromas of matchstick, candlewax and orchard fruits accented with lifted saline touches. The palate is quintessential Paul Lato, balancing glossy polish with focused charm and, in this case, an additional dose of verve. The finish balances toasty, creamy power with lifted, chalky acidity.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard Ma Jolie is a wine of substance and textural richness. Apricot, peach, chamomile, spice and a touch of reduction all grace this ample, large-scaled Chardonnay. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the coming years. I would give this a year or two in bottle, as it is pretty tightly wound today.
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.