2022 The Hilt - Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills (750ml)

Mango, green melon, honeysuckle, chamomile and wet gravel. Ripe and enticing. Showing off all of its fruit today. Precise and full of energy. Sunlight shining out of the glass. Shows tremendous fruit density and makes it obvious that 2022 was an exceptional chardonnay vintage. Agave and lime zest. So much happening in the foreground and background with this wine. Floral, dense, elegant, fruit-driven and ultimately lifted by piercing acidity. The longest finish I can remember with hints of lightly toasted oak, a touch of malolactic roundness and then fruit that seems to be never-ending. A captivating and delicious expression of our estate vineyards and a phenomenal illustration of how well the different sites can work together in a blend. The Radian electricity is a perfect partner for the mouthwatering stone fruit density of Bentrock. One plus one definitely equals more than two in this case. This rendition has a long life ahead! - Matt Dees, Winemaker