2017 Gnesa Vineyard Stainless Chardonnay - Spear Vineyards & Winery

Squeezed lemon, white sage, grapefruit pith. Tart green apple, deep sea water, nectarine pit. Pine needle and savory herbs, subtle matchstick and stainless steel twang. Intensely zingy lime peel leads a ferocious citrus driven attack backed by underripe green pear and honeydew rind. Thick seaweed washes in on a crashing wave, eventually settling amidst beach sand and leaving behind an interesting fennel-like herbal note. Pronounced in intensity, showcasing extremely high and racy acidity punching throughout its medium bodied frame. Quite fresh and zippy pulsing with the telltale stony/steely vibrato its label suggests. This 2017 Gnesa Vineyard Stainless Chardonnay by Spear Vineyards & Winery is an energetic and eccentric white from Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills.

Although traditionally aged in oak barrels, Chardonnay aged in stainless steel has gained a dedicated following worldwide thanks to its clean pure-fruited freshness. This bottling, crafted by Spear Vineyards & Winery using Chardonnay sourced from their Gnesa Vineyard and aged completely in stainless steel, is an exceptionally fun take on this growing genre. It is driven by tones of highly intense citrus juice followed by an intriguing slightly bitter lemon peel and herbal note and manages to exhibit both overt power and delicate transparency. This wine will be intriguing to follow as it matures, but is already drinking wonderfully with its ample amounts of crispness and crunch. Think of the clink of a knife's edge in lieu of buttery creaminess here.