2017 Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay - Pegasus Estate Winery

Bright Meyer lemon, crushed chalk, nectarine pit. Gravenstein apple, soft honeysuckle, fresh clementine. Cardamom and orchard blossom, beach sand and sea spray. Nervous and energetic fruit exhibits tremendous focus and fight as sweet citrus and pineapple core lead this racy and acid-driven attack. Intense salinity and chalky minerality immediately make their presence felt, pointing clearly to heavy marine influence and diatomaceous earth. Light tones of greek yogurt and clove provide a glimpse into winemaking technique although they are largely outshined by the raw intensity of fruit and soil. Medium in body with high acidity and a wonderfully tangy mineral zing. This 2017 Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay by Pegasus Estate Wines is serious, structured, and chic.

Historically, popular winemaking styles in California have been highly cyclical. In the early days of post-prohibition growth most quality oriented Californian producers were making wine in a similar style to their counterparts in Europe. A shift towards bigger and riper wines then started to gain traction in the 1990's, eventually leading to the full-throttle powerhouses of the 2000's. Today the pendulum seems to be swinging in the opposite direction as many of the state's best producers are again aiming to make wine in a more restrained old world style. This bottling, crafted by Pegasus Estate Wines using Chardonnay from Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills, is a excellently executed California Chardonnay with a distinctly Burgundian feel. The energy in this wine is intense; not focused on creaminess or ripeness but rather on expressing unmanipulated natural beauty. This is wonderful wine made in a classic and elegant style.