Tyler Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023

Justin Willett, Tyler Winery's vintner, is one of California’s exciting winemakers. A son of Santa Barbara, he began Tyler Winery in 2005 at the age of 24 with eight barrels tucked away in the corner of Arcadian Winery where he honed his approach to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as assistant winemaker. A champion of old vines, Justin has since engaged the famed historic vineyards of Santa Barbara including the region-defining Sanford & Benedict, La Rinconada and La Encantada Vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills. In 2017, Justin began planting a Sta. Rita Hills estate vineyard: a 45-acre property, with twenty-six acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and named it Mae Estate. 

His Santa Barbara County Chardonnay comprises fruit from various high quality vineyard sites throughout the county, with the majority grown at the the Kick-on Ranch. This bottling is intended to provide great value and representation, while keeping focus on quality and typicity. The chardonnay is whole cluster pressed to tank, settled briefly before being moved to another tank for fermentation. After fermentation is active, the juice goes down to 228L barrels and 500L puncheons. They perform no battonage and the wine goes through full Malolactic Fermentation. The wine is left on lees for 11 months before going back to tank for a few more months of aging.

The result is a fresh and bright style of Chardonnay carrying a citrus, mineral, and marine profile - very much "Santa Barbara".  Medium- to full-bodied, with nice acidity balanced by oaky creaminess, the Tyler Chardonnay bursts with aromas of grilled pineapple, vanilla and pear and lingers on the palate with fully-ripe green apple, lemon and buttery goodness.  

In a winegrowing region defined by its transverse ranges and valleys, where hills glitter with marine sediment and experience the ocean’s winds, Justin makes wines of clarity and poise. His wines lead with structure and persistence; they evoke confidence, focus and vibrancy. Justin is the first to tell you that these are virtues of terroir--they are not created in the cellar, but delicately drawn from the Earth.