2024 Diatom - Chardonnay Santa Barbara County (750ml)

Diatom is the project of winemaker Greg Brewer, a leading figure in Santa Barbara County winemaking who also founded Brewer-Clifton. The label takes its name from diatomaceous earth, the plankton fossil found throughout the region's oceanic landscape, and it is guided by subtraction and refinement. The aim is to show Chardonnay with as little interference as possible.

The 2024 Chardonnay is 100 percent Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County, fermented and aged for six months in stainless steel, with no barrels to soften or mask the fruit. Brewer describes the vintage as a normal California year with ample sun and some heat at the end of September. At roughly 40,000 cases, it is made on a larger scale than most wines of this character, yet it is conceived as a wine of place more than of varietal signature.

Medium to light gold in color, it opens with exotic citrus, minty herbs, and subtle tropical flowers. The palate brings ripe pear, ginger, pomelo, and lime zest, with white peppercorn and dried tarragon. The texture is dense yet weightless, gaining richness in the glass, and a salty, sea spray finish stays long and mouthwatering.