Expert’s Choice: Santa Barbara Chardonnay

When it comes down to it, good Chardonnay is a product of three factors: the distinctive nature of its terroir and farming, the vintage and, of course, the skill of the hands that produce it.

For Chardonnay in the US, the first point has been overlooked by critics who’ve long fixated on Napa and Sonoma as its leading producers.

Meanwhile, down the California coast, distinctive Chardonnay is produced in the idyllic coastal AVAs of Santa Barbara County, without the triple-digit price tag.

Scroll down to see notes and scores of 18 characterful Santa Barbara Chardonnays

Minerals galore

‘Coming down here to Santa Barbara was a renaissance for me,’ says Anthony Avila (pictured, below), the winemaker at Bien Nacido Estate. ‘These wines are naturally fresher, more vibrant and, frankly, more Burgundian in nature.’

This comparison has become a refrain among Santa Barbara winemakers – and for good reason. The region’s Chardonnay is distinct, standing apart even from high-quality examples elsewhere in California. The minerality found in the wines is a hallmark.

Predominantly sedimentary, Santa Barbara’s range of soils is complex, in parts including sandier soils towards the coastline in the west, gravels and flint, clay loam and shales, sandstones and even the rarer diatomaceous earth, made up of silica-based fossilised remains of tiny aquatic organisms.

This varied mineral composition results in localised and precise, structured qualities to the wines.

The Pacific ocean provides cool winds, protecting the grapes’ natural acidity through the provision of cool mist, often in the form of morning sea fogs that reach the far east of the county, evoking freshness and vibrancy in the wines.

Even amateur wine drinkers can begin to recognise the characteristics of Santa Barbara Chardonnay by this duality of cool climate and mineral-rich soil.

Local personality

This allure has encouraged smaller producers to put down roots. Paul Lato, who came in 1996 to intern at Au Bon Climat, describes Chardonnay as his canvas.

‘My inspiration comes from Burgundy,’ he says. ‘I use a lot of new oak but integrate it well – you won’t feel it. I want to make great California wines that stand alongside the world’s best.’

Sanford winemaker Trey Fletcher recalls tasting Santa Barbara Chardonnay in 2010 with then-sommelier Rajat Parr (who now works with Sashi Moorman making wines for Domaine de la Côte and Sandhi). ‘We tried wines from Chanin and Native9 and I was blown away,’ says Fletcher. ‘A year later, I moved here to make Chardonnay.’

Santa Barbara’s Chardonnay can rival that from the world’s most renowned appellations, yet winemakers here resist conforming to a standardised mould.

‘We’re always going to be just a local community that makes good wine,’ says Fletcher as he waves goodbye to Auggie Rodriguez, the winery’s cellar master, whose father helped plant the Sanford & Benedict vineyard (see ‘Cru Americana’ feature) in 1971.

This commitment to authenticity is part of what makes Santa Barbara Chardonnay so alluring. Winemakers here aren’t bound by tradition, but rather inspired by it.

See notes and scores of 18 brilliant Chardonnays from Santa Barbara

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