Winemaker Notes
'Sur lie' lets the fermented wine 'sit' over the sediment created by fermentation. The barrels are stirred frequently to better absorb the flavors of the 'lies' (pronounced 'lees'). The resulting wine has aromatic and flavor intensity complementing the rich character of this Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Barrel fermented and aged on its lees for nine months, this is lush, golden Chardonnay with plenty of generosity to its sun-warmed peach and apple aromas, yet it's smoky, almost meaty, at the core. In the end it pulls away from the more caramelized aspects of its fruit and oak, toward a salty sweetness, with the lifted perfume of a chanterelle mushroom; in fact, it would work well with a mushroom risotto.
Best Buy. -
Wine Spectator
This white offers mouthfilling flavors of ginger, gooseberry and white berry are focused and well-proportioned. Smoky hints show midpalate, followed by a suave finish loaded with delicate citrus, spice and dried herbal notes. Drink now through 2021.
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.