LA Weekly lists 5 top Chardonnays for the Holidays
and two in Santa Barbara County are on it. Cheers!
2009 Chanin Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay
Gavin Chanin worked three vintages under the tutelage of Jim Clendenen, whose Au Bon Climat chardonnays have been models of restraint for decades. He's learned well: floral, mineral, zesty, there's a thrilling tension to this wine as it hits the tongue. -- About $35
2010 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills El Jabali Vineyard Chardonnay
From the cool Santa Rita Hills, winemaker Richard Sanford suppresses malolactic fermentation in this tangy white, redolent of apples and minerals, a pronounced salinity like it's giving off sea air. -- About $28
2009 Chanin Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay
Gavin Chanin worked three vintages under the tutelage of Jim Clendenen, whose Au Bon Climat chardonnays have been models of restraint for decades. He's learned well: floral, mineral, zesty, there's a thrilling tension to this wine as it hits the tongue. -- About $35
2010 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills El Jabali Vineyard Chardonnay
From the cool Santa Rita Hills, winemaker Richard Sanford suppresses malolactic fermentation in this tangy white, redolent of apples and minerals, a pronounced salinity like it's giving off sea air. -- About $28
Labels: Chardonnay, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County
