In 1998 we
made our most voluptuous chardonnay ever with grapes from Talley
Vineyard (the reserve bottling). It is a dramatic wine that is hard
to overlook. But possibly our best chardonnay to date is this 1998
Sanford & Benedict Vineyard bottling from the cool Santa Rita Hills
area between Lompoc and Buellton, in the Santa Ynez Valley. After
the copious 1997 harvest, 1998 produced a tiny crop in our plot
at Sanford & Benedict. This small yield, in combination with the
extreme lateness of harvest (November), made for a wine with wonderful
concentration, acidity, and mineraliness. The mineral quality is
what makes this chardonnay so different from most other California
chardonnays. This wine has power and finesse, a rare combination
that I find compelling. If you enjoy wine as something other than
a cocktail substitute, you'll appreciate this chardonnay's balance
and moderate alcohol content. Don't miss this special example of
cool climate chardonnay. Very limited.