Santa Barbara County Chardonnay: Top wines to try

California’s Santa Barbara County is by no means a two-trick pony when it comes to grape varieties – with Bordeaux and Rhône varieties well represented and a smattering of Italian grapes too – but it’s hard at times to look past wines made here from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Of the two Burgundian varieties, Chardonnay is the most widely planted accounting for over 3,000ha of area under vine. It is made in a variety of styles from crisp and steely to buttery and rich, and has found a home in every AVA within Santa Barbara County.

Chardonnays from the cool climes of Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley, however, are considered some of the best the County has to offer.

According to Matthew Luczy, writing for Decanter last year, the Santa Rita Hills AVA has garnered the respect and attention of geologists, viticulturists and winemakers the world over. He cites Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict as modern winemaking pioneers, planting the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in what is now the southern section of the appellation in 1971.

Michael Benedict says the pair were met with resistance when they first got going. ‘You guys are making a huge mistake. You’re throwing your money away. You’ll never get grapes to ripen out here’, says Benedict, recalling initial meetings with UC Davis consultants.

‘I don’t know what they thought they knew, but I knew what the climate of Burgundy was. I knew that ripening grapes had to do with daytime temperatures and photosynthesis; not how hot it got, but how much sunlight you had,’ he adds.

It came as no surprise to him that the two Burgundy varieties thrived here and continue to put Sta. Rita Hills on the map.

Chardonnay grown here deserves this limelight, says Luczy. ‘In the right hands it strikes that magical balance of cream and toast married with zest and salinity. Zotovich and Bentrock are particularly good sites for seeking out this chiseled, multifaceted style.’

Santa Maria Valley is Chardonnay’s other hotspot in the valley. It was the County’s first AVA and sits 24km inland from the Pacific Coast which offers a cool climate influence to the vineyard area.

Chardonnay accounts for more than a third of the Valley’s white wines and the wines from here are energetic, tropical and floral, with old-vine bottlings from the Bien Nacido Vineyard being particularly memorable.

Elsewhere in Santa Barbara, notable Chardonnay zones are Santa Ynez Valley AVA and Los Alamos. The Santa Ynez Valley acts like a funnel drawing cool temperatures along an east-west corridor that begins close to the coast and becomes progressively warmer inland. Its cool climate sites are perfect for stone fruit-led Chardonnay.

Los Alamos also enjoys cool coastal winds and a long growing season which provides a superb environment to grow and mature, fresh and complex Chardonnay. 

Top Santa Barbara Chardonnays to try, tasted by Matt Luczy

See also:

Santa Barbara County AVA and wines to try

Santa Barbara County Syrah: Top wines to try

15 great Chardonnay wines to try