2015 | The Hilt | Vanguard Chardonnay

Tightly coiled and tense at first. Slowly and steadily hinting at the incredible power and concentration in the glass. Orange blossom, beeswax, gunflint, marzipan and Meyer lemon. Precise and powerful on the palate. Solid core of citrus fruit, almond and loquat. Touch of toasted oak. Fresh and light as a feather on the long finish. Hint of malolactic softness and roundness.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2015 Chardonnay Vanguard delivers a wonderfully spicy nose of white pepper, coriander seed, ginger and anise over a core of white peaches and lemon curd. Medium-bodied, with a great intensity of stone fruit and citrus layers, it has a lively acid line and finishes with those spices coming through.

• Wine Spectator: The 2015 Chardonnay Vanguard comes from slightly younger vines and sees more new oak (although it still seems mostly neutral barrels). This light to medium gold colored Chardonnay offers terrific notes of citrus, under ripe pineapple, salty minerality and white flowers. It's concentrated and textured, yet racy and vibrant, with bright acidity. It really needs 5-6 years of bottle age and is going to have two decades of longevity.
  

Producer Information

Wines defined by place, style and time. In the southwest corner of Sta. Rita Hills AVA lies a rugged, windswept, coastal vineyard, called The Hilt Estate; estate grower producer of stunning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reflective of this dynamic corner of California.Pushing the limits; in the farthest southwest reach of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA is home to Radian & Bentrock Vineyards, these vineyards dictate The Hilt style.The numerous microclimates and unique soils provide a multilayered backdrop to create 3 unique expressions: Estate, The Guards, and Single Vineyards.In 2014, Matt Dees, Ruben Solorzano & team took on operation and farming of Radian and Bentrock Vineyards and shifted to precise sustainable & organic farming to transform and revitalize the soil.

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