Winemaker Notes
The best of Sandhi’s winemaking style and the freshness of the Sta. Rita Hills merge effortlessly here with an instantly flinty nose which bursts with lemon oil and savoriness, recalling classic vintages of this cuvée. Refined and precise as ever, a very mineral and tightly-wound entry relaxes a bit to find more tree fruit with nuances of ginger and saltiness later on.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
So much depth and life with a phenolic character to the citrus flesh and lemon pith. Hawthorne, herbs and subtly sweet spices are all woven into a long, nuanced and layered fabric. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Built around estate vines at the Domaine de la Côte property, the 2023 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is one of the more impressive "regional" bottlings of the vintage. It is beautifully complex on the nose, melding white flowers, hazelnut, sea spray and green apple aromas with dexterity and grace. The palate is tensile, elastic and savory, transitioning into a precisely rendered finish defined by marine-driven flavors and striking purity.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills delivers everything you'd want from an appellation wine in this excellent corner of the world for Chardonnay: saline energy, deep stone fruit character, textural grip and superb balance. Fresh and energetic, the cool-toned, polished 2023 is a winner.
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.