2015 Bentrock Vineyard Chardonnay - Sandhi Wines

Lemon pith, gun powder, tart bosc pear. White nectarine, frozen hay, salted apple slice. Wet concrete and beach break, matchstick and spent shell casing. Extremely tense, edgy, and reductive, expressing struck flint and saline minerality in droves before fruit ever comes into frame. Quite tart and terroir driven with tremendously Burgundian character - completely opposite of the sunshine-fueled ripeness one might expect in California Chardonnay. Lean and dynamic with high acidity and exceptional length. This 2015 Bentrock Vineyard Chardonnay by Sandhi Wines is incredibly intriguing and intellectual Santa Barbara Chard.

The Bentrock Vineyard is one of Santa Barbara County's coldest and most windswept winegrowing sites. Located on the far southwestern edge of the Santa Rita Hills appellation - completely exposed to the full wrath of the Pacific - this vineyard is well known for producing minute yields of tremendously concentrated and complex fruit. This bottling, crafted by Sandhi Wines using 100% Chardonnay sourced from the Bentrock Vineyard, is an extremely impressive interpretation of what this site is capable of. Interestingly the focus here is largely directed at showcasing structure and soil, with fruit merely serving as a pleasantly restrained accouterment. Highly reductive winemaking is evident here in a style reminiscent of some of Burgundy's greats. This is a uniquely spectacular bottle of wine that showcases a divergent approach to winemaking in California. Outstanding.