Winemaker Notes
Medium straw hue. Aromas of mango, guava, butterscotch and white peach start out this blend of Chardonnay sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands. With time, notes of grapefruit and pineapple begin to complex around the initial scents. Upon taste, the flavors remain unchanged and are enhanced with richness and density. The unctuous texture shows incredible depth and reined in by modest acidity. This blend continues to finish with great concentration and overall enjoyment.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Generous aromas of lemon confit, yellow apples, poached pear tarte tatin and baking spices. The palate is textural and creamy, with a medium body cut through with bright acidity, giving notes of candied orange zest, pineapple, flint and pastry. Well balanced and fresh.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay (Santa Lucia Highlands) is brighter and more nervy than last year’s edition. Lemon-juice freshness drives down the center of the palate, building notes of green apple, mint and chalk with air. This is a very representative example of what SLH Chardonnay can be in a cool year. Very nice.
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Wine Spectator
Offers notes of toasted brioche, butter, marmalade and dried apricot, with grilled peaches, candied ginger and mango sorbet. The flavors are kept fresh by the crisp acidity, showing lovely harmony on the finish. Drink now through 2037. 3,168 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.