Winemaker Notes
Medium yellow hue. Aromas of fig, apple, banana, orange fuse nicely with notes of butterscotch and melon. These qualities persist once on the palate and continue to expand their layers. Very balanced Chardonnay showcasing the breadth of the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay (Santa Lucia Highlands) is energetic and juicy, opening with a rush of sweet pear fruit buffered by lemony acidity. It’s a big, forward wine, but there’s enough vibrancy to keep it from getting bogged down. Rounded and ripe, this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Sweet French oak feels just a bit out in front here.
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Wine Spectator
Offers marmalade, dried apricot and grilled peach flavors on a plump and juicy body, along with a note of candied ginger peel and a hint of salted butterscotch. Drink now. 1,896 cases made.
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.