Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay

Maintaining the vitality, freshness and energy of the Chardonnay. That’s the priority at Sandhi winery where they make Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, a single varietal produced at AVA Sta. Rita Hills, in Santa Barbara County, California.

At least that's what Rajat Paar (owner) and Sashi Moorman (winemaker) say on the winery's website, where they explain the basics of Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay. The origin can be found at AV. Sta. Rita Hills in the Santa Ynez Valley (the southern half of the county), near the Pacific. Chardonnay is the main variety here and it’s perfectly adapted to the cold currents coming in from the ocean, with mild winters and much cooler summers than in the rest of the county.

The result is a fresh and not very ripe grape, with a not very marked flavour which will be given character in the winery with fermentations in neutral barrels, malolactic fermentations without stirring the lees, 12 months of ageing in used barrels and 6 months in tank.

The potential of the AV. Sta. Rita Hills was discovered in the 1970s. At first it was thought that the cold climate wouldn’t allow the grapes to ripen properly. Half a century later, today it’s an area with great potential in the United States. With this in mind, Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay is a good way to get to know the wines of the world's second largest producer (after Europe).