Liquid Farm, White Hill Chardonnay 2018

Sta. Rita Hills is blessed with incredible ancient soils that are extremely Chardonnay suited. The sandy-alluvial soils drain like nobody's business (picture how fast water would go through thick clay vs. beach sand). This means that the vines have to get crafty and dig deep for water. And, just like people who are stronger and more complex when they have overcome challenges, vines are the same. If they have it on easy street with rich, fertile soils and never have to work for water, the personality of the wine reflects that it's usually more monotone with less going on. Additionally, to have minerality potential you need that white porous rock and in a very cool climate. The diatomaceous soils that flow through this undoubtedly cool region are made up basically of pure silica. So, Step 2. Well drained check! And, step 3. White porous rock, check! Our lower alcohol content and natural acidity are due to the cool climate of SRH as well as its soils. This also means picking early and soon after phenolically ripe to attain a lower potential alcohol and keep acidity high and pH low which equates to more balanced, table-friendly wines. The wine is generally left to its own devices after it is handpicked and gently pressed post-harvest. Native yeast fermentation is also carried out for all new barrels and an increasing amount of neutral barrels. We predominantaly use neutral oak (used min. 4-5 times and as a result don't impart ANY aromas/flavors), as we prefer Chardonnay profiles made allowing small amounts of oxygen. Stainless tanks don't allow oxygen at all, while heavy new/charred oak tends to mask the fruit.

One of the premier boutique producers of Chardonnay in Santa Barbara, Liquid Farm has impressed with their old world style of winemaking - making exceptional Chardonnays full of energy, minerality, acid and old world soul. Jeff Nielsen and his wife Nikki founded Liquid Farm in 2009 with four barrels. Jeff had been in the wine business for 15 years, working with Champagne and Burgundy houses, but this was his first venture on his own as a producer. The husband and wife duo started the winery to, as they put it, support local viticulture and honor our love for old world wines that have naturally high acidity and which are not masked by modern day manipulations. Jeff and Nikki do not own vineyards (yet) but they have developed relationships with over a dozen prime vineyard sites in and around the Sta. Rita Hills AVA including Bien Naciedo vineyard and the Clos Pepe vineyard. All of Liquid Farms wines are produced using native fermentation. They hand pick early and take a minimalist approach to winemaking. Much of their approach has been adopted from the Burgundian wineries they love. But,while Liquid Farm strives to create wines as complex and serious as those from Burgundy, they are not trying to re-create Burgundy. Winemaker James Sparks produces Chardonnay that is terroir and mineral driven from cool climates with little or no new oak intervention.