2021 Ojai Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Chardonnay [JD94]

Producer: The Ojai Vineyard  
Region: Santa Maria Valley, Central Coast, California 
Varietal: Chardonnay  
Year: 2021 

Jeb Dunnuck, 94 Points 

"From a small 8-acre vineyard that was planted in 1997, the 2021 Chardonnay Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard is another juicy, supple, elegant 2021 white from this team. Giving up plenty of honeyed pear and ripe citrus and lemon-like fruit as well as subtle herbal and mineral nuances, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, bright, juicy acidity, and a great finish. As with the other whites in the lineup, the freshness and purity are top-notch. It already offers pleasure and should keep for 5-7 years or more." 

Winemaker Notes: 

"This 2021 bottling is our first from Rancho Ontiveros, and we couldn’t be more excited about this newcomer. Everything here is very Chardonnay, in a classically proportioned way.  You find vivid earthy scents of wet stones, along with white nectarine, dried apples, shortbread, and raw nut flesh. Little teases of tropicality are in the mix too. It hits the palate with a crack and quickly expands into a full textured mid-palate bound by ropes of minerality. Again you find the white stone fruits, along with candied lemon, juicy apple, then white pepper and a coolness of mint and stones in the finish. It drinks like excellent Macon with its corseted sense of curvature and mineral buoyance." 

Alcohol: 13% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.