Tyler Winery Bien Nacido W Block Chardonnay 2013
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
From the eastern edge of the Bien Nacido property, here the vines grown in the most shale laden gravel soils. These well drained, mineral soils along with the fact that the vines are planted on their own roots back in 1973 always produce the most powerful chardonnay.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from what Justin considers the top block, the 2013 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Block W has lots of marine-like oyster shell, white flowers, apple and mint to go with a steely, structured and racy vibe on the palate. I like its density and structure, but it's firm and backwards now, with its acidity front and center. Give it a year or so to put on some weight and drink bottles through 2023.
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We believe wine should be elegant and honest, and must possess aromatic purity.
In order to best convey the individuality of each site, we try to be modern in our thinking and classic in our approach. Great effort had been made not only to seek out vineyards of pedigree, but also to seek out vines with age. We now work with a number of the oldest vineyard blocks in the County and believe this is essential in our quest for both purity and intesity. Furthermore, close collaboration with each of our growers along with focused, minimal handling of fruit and wine allow us the best opportunity to achieve our goals.
We currently produce 12 different bottlings each year from 22 parcels within 7 different vineyard sites. Total production is approximately 2500 cases annually.
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.
A lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.