Winemaker Notes
More open, enticing and expressive at first approach. Laser-like in its precision. A wine of energy and focus with tropical notes and mouthwatering acidity. Crisp pear, green apple, chamomile and jicama. Saline and fresh, displaying its pure essence without malolactic fermentation and devoid of new oak. Speaks of the sites on our property that attain full ripeness, but never lose their electricity. Tense, electric and satisfying. Full of energy. Almost vibrating.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Soft and mellow on the nose, with aromas of lemon cream, Meyer lemon pith, sea shells and a stroke of wood, this is a bottle to lay down and drink over the decades to come. The fresh, citrusy and layered palate focuses on bright acidity and textural tightness, making a perfect pairing for shellfish and white fish. Drink now through 2035.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Old Guard offers up notes of lemon meringue, honeysuckle and peach blossoms with suggestions of baking bread, marzipan and hay. Medium-bodied with a lovely crisp backbone, the palate yields plenty of citrus and savory layers with a long, chalky finish.
Wines defined by place, style and time. In the southwest corner of Sta. Rita Hills AVA lies a rugged, windswept, coastal vineyard, called The Hilt Estate; estate grower producer of stunning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reflective of this dynamic corner of California.
Pushing the limits; in the farthest southwest reach of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA is home to Radian & Bentrock Vineyards, these vineyards dictate The Hilt style.
The numerous microclimates and unique soils provide a multilayered backdrop to create 3 unique expressions: Estate, The Guards, and Single Vineyards.
In 2014, Matt Dees, Ruben Solorzano & team took on operation and farming of Radian and Bentrock Vineyards and shifted to precise sustainable & organic farming to transform and revitalize the soil.
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.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.