Poached apple, blooming jasmine, lemon bar. Peach pie filling, light cream, pineapple upside down cake. Vanilla and warm baking spice, sandy earth and sunflower seeds. Baked goods brimming with stone fruit and citrus topped with clove, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Soft, ripe, and friendly. This 2017 River Quinn Santa Barbara Chardonnay by Loring Wine Company is straight forward mouth filling deliciousness.

Loring Wine Company is a boutique Santa Barbara County producer that makes a series of small production vineyard designate wines. Recently they have been making a push towards wider distribution and this label was created to serve as their entry level Chardonnay bottling. Essentially a second wine this stuff is composed of a blend of fruit from the same vineyards as their site-specific wines. The pedigree of the fruit shines through brightly here and there is hardly any drop off in quality from their top level stuff. Leaning distinctly towards lush opulence this wine beams coastal California sunshine. Juicy baked fruit and toasted confections construct a round and inviting profile without a sharp edge to be found. This is serious wine for a non-so-serious price, and it absolutely beats the heck out of most of the stuff you'll find sitting on the grocery store shelf next to it.