2015 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay - The Hilt 

Lemon curd, Granny Smith apple, a whiff of brioche. White nectarine, grapefruit zest, clean fresh salinity. Bright zingy acidity meets crunchy tart fruit backed by oceanic terroir. Most new world homage au Chablis end up badly missing the mark - but this one is pretty convincing. The 2015 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay by The Hilt is under cover Chablis that is just as fun as the real thing.

With some of the most impressive land and vineyard holdings in all of Santa Barbara The Hilt Estate is poised to make a major splash in the wine world in the coming years. Add highly notable ownership (Screaming Eagle anyone?) and an all star cast and you have the formula for a wildly successful operation. Despite being relatively new to the scene these guys are already putting out very impressive wines and receiving serious critical acclaim. We'd wager that it's only a matter of years until they reach full blown cult status, but for now you can still purchase and enjoy their wines without having to deal with allocations and mailing lists. The Hilt Estate is absolutely a producer to watch for as they settle into their new coastal digs.