Winemaker Notes
Honey, guava, lemon zest and apricot. Palate reminiscent of a juicy nectarine, burstingwith succulent fruit and lively acidity. Mouthwatering. Unadorned by oak, thiswine shines with freshness and focus, depth and balance.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Chardonnay Old Guard comes from the oldest vines of the estate and is brought up all in older oak. It offers an almost Alsatian Riesling-like minerality and green citrus streak, with more orchard fruits, white flowers, and classic salinity coming through with time in the glass. Deep, rich, and beautifully textured on the palate, it has vibrant acidity, plenty of density and mid-palate oomph, and a great finish. It too will keep for a decade or more, and I suspect it will be even better with a year or two in bottle.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Old Guard was aged 11 months in neutral oak and finished with six months in stainless steel. It features scents of spiced peach cobbler, lime peel, petrichor, slivered almonds, quince and chamomile—this is much more open and giving than its 2017 counterpart. It's light to medium-bodied, tensile and mineral-driven in the mouth with tangy acidity and a long finish. This still has so much life ahead of it. 405 cases were made.
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.