Winemaker Notes
Pairs with most seafood, poultry and pasta with lighter sauces, and makes and excellent pairing with mushrooms (especially chanterelles and morels).
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Well-integrated and attractive, the full-flavored 2014 Sanford Chardonnay showcases the well-recognized AVA of Sta. Rita Hills. This wine exhibits substantial richness all the way and around. Its ripe citrus, rich oak, and lively mineral notes pair it well with rich shellfish dishes. (Tasted: April 14, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Sweet lemon blossoms and fresh-pressed tangerines provide the juicy core to the nose on this appellation blend, which gains aromatic complexity from the sharper orange rind and slate minerality. Sea salt and Meyer-lemon flavors meet with white peach on the palate, which is framed by a chalky grip and is very mouth-watering.
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.