Nielson Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2021
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Winemaker Notes
Citrus blossom, Meyer lemon and lime zest, and baked Granny Smith apple in nose. A bright and balanced acidity complements this medium bodied wine and finishes with flavors of pear tart.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose on this bottling is pleasantly rich with whipped cream, apple blossom and pineapple aromas. The palate picks up a tense lemonpeel edge to counteract the baked apple, macadamia nut and toasted pastry flavors.
Other Vintages
2019-
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Nielson Wines pays homage to its namesake, Uriel J. Nielson, who in 1964 planted the first commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara County, a region previously considered too cold to grow grapes. Known as a viticulture pioneer, Uriel didn’t heed warnings from neighboring farmers and didn’t flinch in his stance that Santa Barbara County could be one among the top winegrowing regions in the world. Today, five decades later, there are now more than 100 wineries and thousands of acres devoted to vineyards, producing wines recognized by critics worldwide for their amazing quality, uniqueness and compelling balance of flavor.
Nielson Wines continues in Uriel’s pioneering spirit, crafting ambitious wines that embody the freshness and vibrancy of the cool, coastal Southern California enclave. Each vintage, Winemaker Ryan Pace produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from some of the region’s most celebrated vineyard sites, with the original Nielson Vineyard serving as the backbone in most of the wines.
In the cellar, Ryan prefers to utilize small-lot winemaking techniques to showcase the nuances and character of each wine, such as hand pruning, block-by-block harvesting, barrel fermentations and lees stirring. These precise winemaking and vineyard practices are combined to create complex wines that embody the culture, lifestyle and flavor of Santa Barbara County.