Optik Block I1 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard 2019
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Journal
The Somm -
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Aromas of rich, toasted crème brulee are followed by a fruity indulgence of green apple, honeydew melon, and lemon. Crisp vibrant and immersed in flavors of mandarin, lime, grapefruit, and cactus pear, with hints of baking spice. A subtle essence of oak toastiness and a beautiful saline finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard Block I1 comes from older vines planted in 1974 and was brought up in 30% new French oak. While it's just over 100 cases of total production today, it will grow to be the largest cuvée as more parcels come on line. A beautiful, Burgundian bouquet of chalky minerality, white flowers, honeyed stone fruit, and brioche gives way to a medium to full-bodied, gorgeously textured Chardonnay with solid underlying acidity, lots of fruit, and a clean, lengthy finish.
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The Somm Journal
Fresh and focused, this wine entices with a nose of green apple and lemon zest, then evolves with lime and mineral notes. Well balanced, with a relatively light body and crisp, refreshing acidity, it came from vines planted in 1973 on a cooler block of the property, which sees both wind and ocean influence. Aged ten months in 40% new French oak.
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Wine & Spirits
Optik is a new collaboration between Bien Nacido’s Miller family and winemaker Joey Tensley. The wine is comfortable and stylish, leading with scents of lemon curd and toasted lees, with a hint of smoke and butterscotch. It’s a pillowy chardonnay, full of flavor, its cushioned texture marked with firm tannins.
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.