Winemaker Notes
Fresh and juicy! Each year we describe the Dierberg chardonnay as lucid andtransparent with 2017 being no different. This vineyard site, situated in thesouth-west quadrant of the Santa Maria AVA, consists of sandy loam soilsfrom ancient sand dunes that once were part of the sea floor. These powdery,Garey series sandy loam soils lend to a vibrant style of chardonnay thatis light on its feet with notes of honeysuckle, mint, kaffir lime and a longmineral finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Dierberg Vineyard features warm white peaches, Greek yogurt, crushed stone and lime peel scents with notions of pie crust and a light framing of spice. Light to medium-bodied, it's purely fruited with juicy acidity and a long, mineral-driven and textured finish. 178 cases produced.
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.