Winemaker Notes
Hailing from a denser site all around, Rinconada is more flamboyant, showing riper aromas of yellow apple, pear and even pineapple. The fruit purity and minimalist winemaking style found in all Sandhi Chardonnays are here. They're just turned up a notch or two. Yellow fruits of all persuasions – citrus, orchard and tropical – leap from the glass, followed by hints of sea salt and brown butter. On the palate, these elements converge with structure and weight that accompany their generosity, and while fuller in the mouth, the wine's acidity is palpable, wrapping the entire package with a zip of lemon peel. All in all, a finely balanced and textured wine that's sure to please. Perhaps the perfect introduction to Sandhi single-vineyard Chardonnay.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Much more flinty with dried apples, pie crust and salted caramel. Medium-bodied with plenty of phenolics and a flavorful finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay Rinconada Vineyard outperforms the Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay this vintage. It has singular aromas of grilled peaches, panna cotta, toast and wafts of matchstick, its detail and layering drawing me back to the glass again and again. The light-bodied palate has a core of mineral-driven fruit that, combined with the wine's tangy acidity, creates a shimmery impression. It has a long, latent finish and won't reach its full potential until it's had several years in bottle to unwind. Rating: 95+
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Wine Spectator
Shows a savory thread of honeycomb, saline and a hint of flint to the mouthwatering core of lemon curd, with details of pomelo and green apple skin and abundant aromatic notes of lemon verbena and lemongrass. Picks up a hint of lanolin on the savory finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Very earthy on the nose, this bottling smells of turned soil and crushed rocks, with a touch of grapefruit peel adding sharpness. The palate sizzles with a tangy acidity, offering more grapefruit alongside that crushed-rock minerality.
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.