Winemaker Notes
This wine is classic, both in its proportions and its ability to join the bright, lifted notes of citrus with warmer, rounder aromas of apple and spice. The palate demonstrates a combination of purity and generosity only achievable through vines of an advanced age.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Derived from the own-rooted Wente selection 1971 plantings in this historic site, the 2015 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is beautiful, wafting from the glass with notes of yellow orchard fruit, praline and nutmeg. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with amazing old-vine concentration and mid-palate amplitude, racy acids, almost chewy levels of extract and a long, mouthwatering 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.
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.