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: 2018 Scar of the Sea "Rancho Tepusquet" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay

2018 Scar of the Sea "Rancho Tepusquet" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay

SKU #1552713 95 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark From own-rooted vines planted in 1973, this bottling offers aromas of Asian pear, strong chalk, jicama, and soft butter. The palate is incredibly crisp, clean, chalky, and tense, with tightly wound flavors of lime pith, talc, more jicama and loads of white-fleshed fruits. (MK) Inner quote mark (10/2020)

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The 2018 Chardonnay Rancho Tepusquet Old Vine is scented of salted almonds, crushed stone, white blossoms and lemon peel. It's medium-bodied, super satiny and bright with savory bass tones and a long, energetic and nuanced finish. 'I love weight and texture in Chardonnay,' says winemaker Mikey Giugni, 'that juxtaposition between acid and texture.' (EB) Inner quote mark (10/2020)

K&L Notes

That winery creeping up in your rear view mirror is Scar of the Sea. This tiny, boutique operation is a dream fulfilled by Mikey and Gina Giugni. This is winemaking as honest as it comes. They source fruit from farmers who share their ethos, each wine telling the story of the place its from. The fruit source for the Rancho Tepusquet is none other than the Bien Nacido Vineyard, Block I, which was planted in 1973.

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2018 Scar of the Sea "Rancho Tepusquet" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay

Price: $29.99

Quantity:

WE: 95

RP: 92

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Product Reviews:

By: Kaj Stromer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 11/8/2021 | Send Email

Persistence is the game here. Every sip lingers endlessly on the palate, or so it seems. Great vineyards create great wines and the Bien Nacido vineyard rarely disappoints. This is no exception. This is the kind of Chardonnay you notice right away, yet it creeps up on you, as well. The aromatics are reminiscent of a fruit orchard grown near the ocean—ripe pear and apple with a touch of savory salinity. The flavors fan out across the palate, and the finish lingers long. It's a seamless glass of wine. As I said earlier, this is all about persistence. The intensity of the fruit grows with each sip and gains momentum as you crave the next taste. This is another great example of how far California has come in its quest to make world-class Chardonnay. Bravo to Mikey and Gina for pushing the envelope!

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/3/2021 | Send Email

I'm a huge fan of Scar of the Sea. Mikey is making some of the most compelling Chardonnay in the state. Here, he works his magic with the old vines of Bien Nacido, and the results are incredible. This bottling brings forth the latent power and intensity these 45-year-old vines have in store, combining it with the energetic, racy, focused acid line that Scar of the Sea does so well. Tons of minerality and persistence for days. What a fantastic wine. Delicious now but will likely gain even more depth with time in bottle.

Top Value! Drink from 2021 to 2030

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Chardonnay

- It's hard to believe that up until about 30 years ago, this extremely popular varietal hid behind the veil of geographical names like Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Now grown all over the world and bottled by its varietal name, Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate where it's grown and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp and minerally with apple and lemon notes to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones, Chardonnay runs the gamut. In France's Burgundy, Chardonnay is the source of the prized wines of Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Mâcon, Meursault and Montrachet. It also the foundation of exceptional Champagne, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier or vinified on its own into Blanc de Blancs. It is also extremely popular in California, and is gaining popularity in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Santa Maria/Santa Barbara

- Santa Maria and Santa Ynez make up the two AVAs of Santa Barbara County, an area known for its natural beauty and temperate climate. The best grape-growing areas, however, are located on the very coastal reaches of these two appellations, and are cooled by ever-present fog and ocean breezes (it is even cooler and foggier here than Carneros!). As expected, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive while the more inland zones lay claim to Bordeaux varietals and some Rhône blends.

Alcohol Content (%):

12.8