Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Rajat Parr’s single-vineyard expression may be the priciest white wine in the region, but it does impress, with aromas of lemon curd, limestone and macadamia-nut mousse. There’s just the right combination of oak, fruit and acid on the palate, with flavors of sea salt, yellow flowers and a pinch of cinnamon.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Chardonnay Bent Rock Sta. Rita Hills is a stunning effort that has fantastic tension and focus in its mineral-laced citrus peel, stone fruits, warm spice and brioche-styled aromas and flavors. As with all of the Sandhi releases, it has fabulous purity of fruit and a layered, lightly textured, silky feel. It too should drink nicely through 2019, although I see no need to hold off.
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Wine Spectator
Shows off generous ripe apple, melon and white nectarine flavors that are sharply focused, juicy and lively, ending with a long, mouthwatering aftertaste. Drink now through 2022. 430 cases made.
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.