Lively white flower aromas of honeysuckle and gardenia meet with lemon verbena and guava on the fresh nose of this bottling. The palate is quite floral and tropical, offering coconut and guava cream flavors. — Matt Kettmann

Sourced from a variety of sites in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2023 Chardonnay White Hill matured entirely in neutral wood for nine months and is particularly overperforming this vintage. Yellow orchard fruits and pastry...

The 2018 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee is bright, airy and wonderfully perfumed. Ethereal and gracious, the 2018 lifts out of the glass with striking aromatic presence to match its chiseled, mid-weight personality...

The 2022 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict comes from the original own-rooted vines planted in 1971, and the wine was matured for 10 months in used French oak. The nose features tones of yellow peach, honey and spice, and as...

The 2024 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is very fine. Creamy yet vibrant, with lovely textural depth, the S&B Chardonnay has a lot to offer. Orchard fruit, white flowers, slate, chalk, mint and sage gain intensity...

The 2024 Chardonnay Trout Gulch Vineyard is a terrific wine off this Santa Cruz Mountains site planted at 600 feet in elevation. Lemon peel, chalk, slate, mint and dried herbs race across the palate. The 2024 is nervy and...

Mouthwatering, intense and generous, with a core of citrus flavors including Sumo orange, lime zest and salted, preserved lemon, plus fresh ginger. Pretty, aromatic notes of orange blossoms and sweetgrass linger on the...

Toasted almond, citrus pith and light dairy aromas show on the nose of this appellation cuvée. The palate picks up an earthier line, as chaparral rock and herb flavors meet with brighter lemon and dried pear elements. —...

( 96+ points) My favorite of these recent releases from The Hilt is the 2023 Chardonnay Bentrock Vineyard, which perfectly encapsulates the maritime nature of the western Sta. Rita Hills. Dominated by crystalline aromas...

The 2022 Chardonnay Estate is an open-knit, creamy expression of the vintage energized by delicate accents of crushed stone and citrus blossoms. The palate is svelte, polished and amply concentrated before transitioning...

The 2023 Chardonnay Estate is a crystal-clear representation of the new Chardonnay approach at The Hilt, bursting from the glass with a quintessential bouquet of dried kelp, iodine, citrus rinds and green orchard fruits...

The 2022 Chardonnay White Hill spent eight months in neutral wood and two months in stainless steel before bottling. A snappy, flinty nose of crushed stones and citrus curd introduces a silky, bright palate that straddles...

The 2020 Loner Chardonnay The Thirty-Five Sweet Goodbyes comes from the John Sebastiano vineyard and was matured for 26 months in used French oak and stainless steel. It opens with chalk and saline before revealing scents...

The nose on this bottling starts in very delicate ways and then grows more warm with lemon cake, honeysuckle and macadamia nut aromas. The palate is similar, starting softly then growing more tense and brisk with lemon...

Earthy aromas of riverbed and crushed stone open up into lemon blossom and citrus peel on the nose of this estate bottling. There's a lime pith grip to the palate, where ample citrus edges cut into the dried apple...

(92+ points) The bouquet of the 2023 Chardonnay East of Eden Pisoni Vineyard is marked by lees-derived notions of oatmeal, croissant and pastry cream subtly lifted by floral accents and a touch of reduction. On the...

A generous white, with notes of mango, pineapple and ripe, salted melon. Offers accents of butterscotch, candied ginger and orange blossoms, along with accents of crunchy sea salt and apricot pastry, plus a fresh thread...

Brought up six months in neutral French oak and stainless steel, the 2023 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County offers orchard fruits, sautéed apples, spice, and honeyed flower notes with some background oak. Medium-bodied...

The 2021 Chardonnay Rosella's Vineyard is graced with hints of ripe peach, apricot, spice, dried flowers and vanillin. Effusive and lifted, the Rosella's offers tons of finesse in a transparent, perfumed, appealing...

The 2022 Chardonnay “Rinconada Vineyard” bottling from Sandhi is the ripest wine in the lineup this year, coming in at 13.4 percent alcohol in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, bright and very expressive, hopping from...