2014 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County

A blend of the various iconic vineyards otherwise bottled as single vineyards. Fermented and aged entirely in neutral barrel. No new oak. Delicious. Approachable. Refreshing. Very easy to drink without lacking interest, and well done. Mineral length through the palate. Focused restraint with plenty of concentration and dry extract. Just a bit of clementine on the nose with a wash of citrus, savoury saline, and lengthy minerality through the palate. Such an impressive first-tier wine (versus the higher level single-vineyard bottlings) – it really speaks to the level of quality that the house is driving as their baseline. Nicely done and delicious. Most of all it has pleasing completeness – aromatics, flavour, structure, minerality, acidity and length are cohesive, complete, and nicely balanced. Well done. VGV (ECB)