Santa Barbara Winery Reserve Chardonnay 2014
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'Sur lie' lets the fermented wine 'sit' over the sediment created by fermentation. The barrels are stirred frequently to better absorb the flavors of the 'lies' (pronounced 'lees'). The resulting wine has aromatic and flavor intensity complementing the rich character of this Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay.
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This white offers mouthfilling flavors of ginger, gooseberry and white berry are focused and well-proportioned. Smoky hints show midpalate, followed by a suave finish loaded with delicate citrus, spice and dried herbal notes. Drink now through 2021.
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Wine & Spirits
Barrel fermented and aged on its lees for nine months, this is lush, golden Chardonnay with plenty of generosity to its sun-warmed peach and apple aromas, yet it's smoky, almost meaty, at the core. In the end it pulls away from the more caramelized aspects of its fruit and oak, toward a salty sweetness, with the lifted perfume of a chanterelle mushroom; in fact, it would work well with a mushroom risotto.
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In 1962, Pierre Lafond re-established Santa Barbara County's winemaking tradition by founding Santa Barbara Winery. The winery was the first since prohibition and is part of an association that has grown to 40 wineries located in Santa Barbara County. In the early years, Pierre made wine from purchased fruit, but soon realized the potential for premium wine made from Santa Barbara County grapes. In 1971, he purchased land in the western Santa Ynez Valley and began planting what is now a 95 acre vineyard. Today, annual production is around 32,000 cases.
Bruce McGuire was working as a winemaker in the Sacramento Delta in 1981 when Pierre Lafond invited him to take over the winemaking operation at Santa Barbara Winery. Since then, the winery has produced world class red and white wines. Bruce's winemaking philosophy begins in the vineyard. He believes the quality and integrity of the wine is inextricably linked to what happens in the field — from the pruning in the winter, to the harvest in the autumn.
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 superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.