2021 Sea Smoke "Estate Vineyard" Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay

While sun drenched and unabashedly Californian in style, this richly extracted Chardonnay boasts a steeliness and finesse that's riveting. Low crop yields lend power and concentration to this voluminous, full-bodied wine vinified in stainless steel and matured 10 months in French oak barrels (24% new). Polished and satiny wine yet impeccably balanced by cutting streaks of lemon and lime, subtly herbal shades of oak and a murmur of tannins that lend an upright feel to the finish. Invigorating in youth but should meld and ease well into the next decade. (AI)