2015 The Hilt Chardonnay Santa Barbara County
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Chardonnay is racy and open-knit in this vintage, offering attractive orchard fruit and yellow fruit character. There is a real viscosity and weight to the 2015, and its soft contours and plush fruit result in a giving, inviting Chardonnay that will be delicious to drink upon release. Fruit sources are Solomon Hills, Bentrock, Sanford & Benedict and Radian.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County has a very pretty grapefruit and yuzu-scented nose with hints of honeysuckle, toasted almonds and lemongrass. Medium-bodied, with a lovely line of racy acid lifting the elegant citrus flavors, it finishes with great length and mineral nuances.
Made with the idea to be more approachable than the two special cuvees, the 2015 Chardonnay succeeds wonderfully and offers tons of juicy citrus, pineapple, and white flowers notes in a classy, balanced, textbook Santa Barbara County style. It's ideal for drinking over the coming 3-4 years. Farmed to “The Hilt,” these killer Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are made by superstar winemaker Matt Dees. All these latest releases are going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age.
The 2015 Chardonnay is shaping up to be a real gem. Ripe, luscious and super-expressive, the 2015 manages to retain a great deal of freshness just the same. Lemon confit, orange blossom, mint and lightly buttered notes flesh out in the glass, but it is the wine' succulence that stands out most. The creamy, textured finish is incredibly appealing. Today, the new oak is a bit evident, but I can't imagine that will be an issue once the wine is bottled.
About the producer
The Hilt is the Santa Rita Hills project owned by sports and property mogul billionaire Stan Kroenke, who also owns Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley and the Jonata estate in the California’s Ballard Canyon AVA.