2023 Sandhi Chardonnay Rinconada
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Tasting notes
The 2023 Chardonnay La Rinconada emphasizes the site's high-toned side in this harvest, opening with a citrus-driven bouquet accented with the breezy, marine nature that routinely marks the vineyard. The palate mirrors this lifted nature with a silken, svelte profile that sits high in the mouth, concluding with a tensile, zesty finish that lingers with flinty undertones and an herbal touch. While I preferred the more textural Sanford & Benedict bottling at this stage, readers seeking a more linear expression of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay will find much to love here.
Critic scores
Average Score
Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
Billy Norris, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Chardonnay Rinconada Vineyard delivers powerful minerality in a taut, linear frame. Lemon pith, sea salt and flourishes of savory herbs gain intensity with air, but the 2023 is a wine of serious phenolic texture and grip more than aromatic expressiveness. Give it a bit of time in bottle or a generous decant.