The Hilt Wines - Santa Rita Hills AVA - Bentrock Vineyard Chardonnay - Blanc - 2021

Wine:

The 2021 Santa Rita Hills Bentrock Vineyard Chardonnay is a rich and caressing wine, offering a variety of aromas from pastry and fresh fruits to verbena and zest, with a revitalizing energy. Still young and focused on its primary aromas, particularly almond, it has much more to reveal. The refined barrel aging, with 40% new oak, followed by five months on lees in tanks, promises to enhance its complexity over time. Already long and generous, it will evolve beautifully with age. A remarkable wine from an exceptional terroir in a standout vintage! Rated 93/100 by Antonio Galloni and 95/100 by Jeb Dunnuck.

Vinification:

Hand harvested. Vines aged 14 years. Aged for 11 months in French oak barrels (40% new and 60% one and two wines), followed by 5 months on lees in stainless steel vats.

Temperature:

Serve between 10 and 12°C in a large glass.

Food and wine pairing:

Grilled lobster with tarragon butter, Arctic char with acacia honey cream sauce, Bresse poultry with light cream sauce, veal sweetbreads with white truffles.

Cellar aging:

From now until 2031, and even longer for enthusiasts.

The Hilt Wines is a Californian icon. Owned by Stan Kroenke, who also heads Screaming Eagle and Bonneau du Martray, this estate is unmatched in both its location and its reputation.

The Hilt Estate enjoys a truly exceptional setting, perched on California’s Central Coast in the heart of the Santa Rita Hills Valley. This breathtaking site, surrounded by hills, offers a complex terroir with a remarkable variety of soils, microclimates, and elevations. Benefiting from a cool oceanic climate, it allows the grapes to mature slowly while maintaining their natural acidity.

Winemaker Matt Dees is committed to showcasing this extraordinary geological and climatic diversity through a series of stunning cuvées, each one crafted in an elegant, Burgundian-inspired style.