Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr make this elegant and rich style of Chardonnay, powerful and tense with light reduction and a palate of mango and pineapple, with white floral tones flowing beautifully into a balanced, acidic, minerally finish and long length. Could easily be confused with a good Meursault. Great value.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills from Sandhi is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of candied peel, waxy lemon rind, nutmeg and subtle spice. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, sappy and delicately textural, with a racy line of acidity, more energy and salinity than the Santa Barbara County bottling and a pure, tongue-tingling 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.