2022 Tyler Santa Barbara County Chardonnay

A lovely nose of orchard fruits expands on the palate, revealing bright citrus, a distinct minerality, and notes of toasted almond on the lingering finish. This is a dynamic great-quality wine that you’ll almost never find at this price. It leans Old World in style (not unlike a white Burgundy from the Mâconnais) due to its cool climate while coaxing out bright fruit flavors from Santa Barbara County’s long growing season and more-southern solar exposure. What a wonderful sense of place this wine delivers. Its bright acidity pairs well with food.

Grapes are sourced from various locations, including Kick On Ranch in Los Alamos and younger vines from the storied Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills. Grapes are whole-cluster pressed then aged in 20% new French oak in a combination of 228-liter barrels and 500-liter puncheons. There’s full malolactic fermentation with lighter lees remaining in barrel for 11 months, no doubt providing the toasty almond notes.

Tasted over the last three vintages, this wine shows wonderful consistent quality, especially at its price point. It’s a great entry to the wines of Tyler, which include a number of single-vineyard bottlings, including from storied Bien Nacido, Sanford & Benedict, La Rinconada, and now their own Mae Estate, which debuted in 2019.