White Wines

wines

Tasted at the beginning of 2023, a reductive quality was still obscuring bright, penetrating green apple and kiwi flavours with a smoky, earthen veil. Still, it’s a gorgeously sleek, richly textured wine with a pulsating core of acidity and salty mineral intensity.Decanter | 95 DECLovely texture and density, showing dried apple, fresh ginger and pastry dough. Layered, with phenolic tension. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills has alluring aromas of white peach, freshly baked bread, panna cotta and matchstick with savory undertones. The medium-bodied palate has dynamic flavors that range from ripe fruit to matchstick and saline. It has a focused spine of acidity, a pleasing touch of textural grip and a very long, layered finish. It’s complex yet delicious straight from the bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2021 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is terrific. Citrus confit, white flowers, almond, chamomile and dried herbs all run through this super-expressive Chardonnay. There’s a touch of phenolic intensity, along with a kiss of reduction, that add character. Almost all of this fruit is now estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMComplex and seamless, there’s plenty to admire in this white wine. Shows spiced, poached pear, dried apple, grilled lemon and fresh tangerine flavors that are juicy and generous, with details of sage, white pepper and toasted sesame seed on the finish. Drink now. 4,536 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThere’s a strong streak of tarry minerality to the nose of this bottling, which shows brisk lemon peel and even petrol on the tightly wound nose. The palate is stony as well, with a potent acidity slicing through lemon-peel flavors. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

This harmonious white offers bright, buoyant acidity and fresh character to the aromas and flavors of orchard blossoms, nectarine and yellow apple. Yet this also has a light, pleasing plumpness, plus rich hints of mango puree, slivered almond and vanilla-infused pastry cream. Medium-bodied and creamy, with a lingering finish of spices and stone. Drink now through 2031. 800 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBig and waxy chardonnay with ripe orchard and tropical fruit, notes of walnuts, pie crust and cream. Full-bodied, dense and oily with a mellow and ripe character framed by spicy and nutty nuances. Long finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSA total seductress, the 2021 Chardonnay Ciampagnis lifts from the glass with an intense mix of lemon custards, sweet mint and confectionary spice. Its creamy textures soothe as a pure mix of ripe citrus-tinged orchard fruits settles upon the palate. Here it’s the acidity that impresses most, finishing remarkably vibrant despite its intense fruit-forward personality while leaving stimulating hints of lime and saline minerals to linger. Vie di Romans captures an amazing amount of complexity within the Ciampagnis yet uses only stainless steel in the aging process.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Vieris opens slowly in the glass, holding back in its youthful state, with hints of lemon oil, rosemary and wet stone accentuated by sweet spice. This is seamlessly silky, almost oily in feel, with sapid yellow citrus and savory herbal tones enriched by vibrant acidity. It finishes potent and spicy, leaving the palate saturated in an intense staining of primary concentration. The potential here is off the charts, but today, the Vieris is one of the most backward wines out of the 2021 portfolio.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

The varietal white 2021 Garnacha Blanca, from one of their favorite vintages, was picked early to produce the fresh profile they like, with 12.9% alcohol, a pH of 3.15 and 6.55 grams of acidity. They used grapes from the village of Fitero to ferment the must in stainless with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured mostly in concrete, a 2,000-liter Stockinger foudre and five new 500-liter French oak barrels. It’s fresh, floral and elegant, with purity and balance, a spicy touch from the wood. It has a very tasty finish and even a salty twist, super fresh with lots of finesse. It has volume and freshness, the vibrancy from an early harvest and the contained ripeness and alcohol. This is the style they wanted for this wine and took the time to find it; it’s more Burgundian than Mediterranean, to me. It should age nicely in bottle. And a bargain. 19,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP