Poached apple, sliced almond, shaved orange peel. Lemon meringue, fragrant jasmine, baked pineapple. Sandy soil and dried straw, toffee and vanilla bean. Gorgeously pure peach leads a medley of citrus and orchard fruit through a field of dewy spring flowers. Roasted cashew and pine nut provide a pleasantly nutty intrusion aided by the likes of toasted coconut and lite cream. Washed mushroom and forest floor cower behind the ripe decadence adding just the slightest hint of delightful funk. Perfectly dry. This 2016 Sierra Madre Vineyard Chardonnay by Dorothy Jean Wines is a radiant beauty from the SMV.

The Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County produces some of California's most well regarded Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This bottling, crafted by Dorothy Jean Wines using fruit from the Sierra Madre Vineyard, is an impressive example of what this region is capable of producing from one of the world's most widely planted white wine grapes. It is bright and energetic possessing a wonderful depth of fruit and subtle secondary nuances. Telltale Santa Barbara acidity shines brightly all the way through the long finish. This is plush and delicious California Chardonnay without the intrusion of syrup or sugary notes. The balance of flavors from the incorporation of oak, malo, and lees are in perfect sync here. Simply wonderful.