2013 Hilliard Bruce Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 750 ml

Impeccably balanced Chardonnay from California’s emerging superstar

A seismic shift is occurring in epicenter of California Chardonnay. Napa and Sonoma have ruled the roost for the nineties and oughts, but a significant part of California Chardonnay’s future can be found in Santa Barbara. The present, too: The husband and wife team of John Hilliard and Christine Bruce are working wonders at their 21-acre Hilliard Bruce estate, with 5.3 acres planted to Chardonnay just off Highway 246 on the very western border of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Their vineyards are buffeted by cold, cleansing winds off the Pacific. Even sunny days rarely see daytime highs above 80 degrees.

Such perfect conditions have set the stage for the making of world-class Chardonnay. Yields are tiny, often less than 2 tons per acre (the norm in Chassagne is 3-3.5 tons). Long sun-drenched days and low temperatures help the Dijon clones achieve massive phenolic ripeness with lower alcohols. The result is high-tension Chardonnay infused with Montrachet-like lemon custard and bitter honey. Vinous founder Antonio Galloni calls Hilliard Bruce “one of the top properties in the Sta. Rita Hills,” specifically noting their Chardonnays reflecting “a distinctly Burgundian aesthetic.”

Hilliard and Bruce brought Greg Brewer in to consult in an effort to create something really special. Brewer, the veteran of Melville and co-founder of Brewer-Clifton, was attracted by their strict sustainable farming culture and appetite for making Old World-inspired wines, and cited the “diversity, energy and potential” as particularly exciting. Once Brewer was on board, Chardonnay fans were sure to follow: Since 2002, Brewer has produced close to a hundred Chardonnays from Sta. Rita Hills that have earned between 93 and 99 points.

The 2013 Hilliard Bruce Chardonnay Estate is brilliant pale-gold. Mouthwatering aromas of ripe citrus, white peach, and ripe apple, tinged with nuttiness and crunchy white-rock minerality. Rich, tightly wound, and intensely concentrated on the attack. Wonderfully pure and polished, filled with ripe lemon, Granny Smith apple, and pear, finishing with excellent persistence and a refreshing Burgundian acid cut.

Galloni called this “one of the most distinctive Chardonnays in Sta. Rita Hills appellation … a brilliant, impeccable Chardonnay built on delineation and class.” In summary, Galloni described it as “a superb wine,” capping it all off with a 93+ score.

One of California’s best attempts at making something as profoundly refreshing and complex as the great Chardonnays of Meursault, Chassagne, and Puligny.