Winemaker Notes
Medium yellow color. Aromas of kiwi, ripe fig, lemon, and honey jumpstart this Chardonnay blend. With some time, secondary notes of apple, nectarine, and peach round out the profile. Once in the palate, these characteristics build and are met with an enchanting butterscotch flavor. The mouthfeel is broad, deep, and concentrated. This wine finishes with freshness and hedonism. Enjoy now through 2029.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands has ripe, tropical-tinged fruits on the nose with touches of honeysuckle and roasted almonds. The medium-bodied palate has concentrated, creamy fruits, refreshing acidity and a long, nutty finish.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
A Chardonnay that readily displays the ripeness and fruity richness that characterizes those hailing from the Santa Lucia Highlands while stopping tastefully short of being in any way excessive or overdone, this appellation bottling tends to tighten up just a bit in the late going in contrast to its comparatively wide-open start, and, though it finishes on the fairly firm side, it does not run afoul of acidy stiffness and never loses its focus on juicy, young, very sure-footed, Chardonnay fruit.
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.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.