Chanin Wine Company Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay 2012

Chanin Wine Co. is dedicated to crafting wines from Santa Barbara County that reflect the individual vineyard in which they are grown. There's a great complexity to this wine, with notes of toasted almonds, freshly baked bread, and a matchstick smokiness. On the palate, these become more subtle, laced with pear, kiwi, and curry leaf. The texture is incredibly smooth with a fresh, clean finish.

The winery focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, two grapes that are especially revealing of subtle differences in geography, geology, and climate. Their grapes are grown in Santa Barbara County, where cool coastal winds, diverse marine-based soils, and a long, growing season provide an exciting and unique environment for Burgundian varieties. This Chardonnay comes from 39-year-old vines on the classic Santa Maria bench plantings of Bien Nacido. Gavin Chanin's goal is to make Chardonnay in a style that is bent towards more mineral and racy wines. The old vines that he works with at Bien Nacido only enhance this outcome and are a crucial element in this wine. At Chanin Wine Co., Chardonnay is made in the most minimalist way possible.