Mer Soleil Santa Barbara Reserve Chardonnay 2021

With a bright golden hue that catches the light, the 2012 vintage evokes the scent of fresh melon and apricot, layered with hints of brown spice and cloves. On the palate, the wine is round and creamy, its mineral character enveloped in buttery richness and the taste of stone fruit. The finish is a wisp of acidity, providing balance and brightness and calling you back for another sip.

The Mer Soleil Vineyard is named for two natural forces that create its growing conditions: sea (mer) and sun (soleil). With plantings at two separate locations in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation of Monterey County, Mer Soleil’s Chardonnay vines are nestled on east-facing lower slopes of the Sierra de Salinas range in what is one of the coolest, driest grape growing areas in California. During the growing season, warmer inland temperatures at the southern end of the Salinas Valley pull cooling morning and evening fogs into the vineyards. The afternoons, in contrast, are evenly warm and sunny.