2016 The Hilt Chardonnay Santa Barbara County
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Tasting notes
Resembling a top Sauternes, the 2016 Chardonnay Botrytis has a vivid gold color as well as beautiful notes of honeyed peach, tangerine, flower oil, and caramel. Medium to full-bodied, it's opulent and sweet, yet stays nicely balanced and light on its feet. It's a rocking dessert wine from this team. The big news with these The Hilt releases is the addition of two new single vineyard Pinot Noirs, Radian and Bentrock. As usual, winemaker Matt Dees has turned out a brilliant lineup of wines in both 2017 and 2018.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Chardonnay Estate spent 11 months in 38% new French oak. It has an open nose of ripe peach, apricot, toast, gunflint and pie crust with dried chamomile and honey-drizzled apple slices. Medium-bodied, it offers concentrated stone fruit and honey-nut character in the mouth, with seamless acidity and a long, textured finish. 1,100 cases produced.
Lightly colored, with beautiful white citrus, white flowers, spice, and obvious minerality and salinity, the 2016 Chardonnay is medium-bodied, rounded, and beautifully textured on the palate. It has both freshness and richness and is perfect introduction into the wines of this estate, which is the idea with this cuvée.
The 2016 Chardonnay is a tasty entry-level offering from The Hilt. Translucent and lifted, with lovely orchard fruit and floral character, the 2016 has a lot to offer. Lightly tropical notes add lovely nuance throughout.
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.