2024 Liquid Farm - Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills White Hill (750ml)

Liquid Farm was founded in the Sta. Rita Hills with a debut vintage of just two barrels of White Hill Chardonnay in 2009. The winery built its reputation on a leaner, more mineral-driven style of California Chardonnay, one that draws inspiration from Chablis rather than the richer, more buttery examples common to the state. Sourcing fruit from a handful of standout sites within the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Liquid Farm has grown into one of the region's most respected Chardonnay specialists, known for precision winemaking and a hands-off approach in the cellar that lets the appellation's cool climate and distinctive soils speak clearly in the glass.

White Hill draws primarily from Clos Pepe, supplemented by fruit from Kessler-Haak and La Rinconada in varying proportions each vintage. These vineyards sit on the diatomaceous, calcareous soils that define the Sta. Rita Hills, an AVA cooled by ocean breezes funneled through the Santa Ynez Valley's rare east-west orientation. Grapes are hand-picked and fermented in a mix of neutral oak and stainless steel, then aged for roughly ten months before bottling, a regimen built to preserve freshness and highlight the site's natural salinity rather than add richness or overt oak character.

The wine opens with Meyer lemon, chalk, and lime zest, joined by white flowers and a chiseled, stony minerality on the finish. Acidity runs bright and cutting, giving the wine a tense, precise structure that rewards food alongside it. Pour this Chardonnay with raw oysters, seared scallops, or a citrus-dressed crudo.