Sandhi Rinconada Chardonnay 2020
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The first certified organic vineyard in Santa Barbara County, Rinconada is immediately to the west of Sanford & Benedict. While the aromas are close relatives of Sanford & Benedict, the mouthfeel of the wine is fuller, fleshier, and just a bit more unctuous.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chardonnay Rinconada Vineyard has a core of white peach and apricot with touches of raw almonds, acacia, hay and lemon cream. Medium-bodied, it has a rounded, gently grippy texture, dynamic flavors that range from bright citrus to panna cotta and a very long, flavorful finish. Lovely!
-
Wine Enthusiast
A fascinating chalk aroma kicks off the nose of this bottling before juicier tones of apple and nectarine arise alongside a unique hint of mint. The palate is chalky and ashy in grip and flavor, but with more generous tones of peach flesh, lemon glaze and yellow apple as well.
-
Wine Spectator
Pomelo, lime and pear flavors are juicy and sleek, with lingering notes of dried ginger, lemon thyme and white tea. Drink now through 2027.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
Sandhi is a small production California winery focusing on select vineyards from the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. Sandhi was founded in 2010 by Rajat Parr, the wine director for Michael Mina Restaurants, and winemaker, Sashi Moorman.
Sandhi represents a union essential to the production of wine: the collaboration between man, earth, and vine. The willing participation of all three elements is necessary to make great wine, and the winegrower must make this collaboration rich and nourishing for all involved. An understanding of these joint efforts informs Sandhi’s exploration of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines throughout the Santa Barbara County terroir.
The individual vineyards from which these grapes originate–some legendary, some new–have been exhaustively vetted for character, personality, and balance. Employing the wisdom and talents of people who know the vineyards, Sandhi is dedicated to making wines of finesse, minerality, acidity, structure and balance. Wine achieves power and beauty through the seamless integration of these qualities, and this is the inspiration for Sandhi. Wines exhibiting extreme ripeness, alcohol, oak, and other discordant exaggerations cannot truly express a specific vineyards terroir.
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.