Arnot-Roberts Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay 2022

Arnot-Roberts, the small Northern California winery founded by Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts, works with expressive single vineyards and a light hand in the cellar. This Chardonnay is drawn from the Sanford and Benedict vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, one of California's coolest growing areas, where the east to west valleys funnel ocean air and fog off the Pacific. That cool maritime climate slows ripening and preserves acidity, which is why the wine stays fresh and taut at 12.5 percent alcohol. Ageing takes place over ten months in used French oak, adding gentle texture and a slow oxygen feed without overt wood character, keeping the citrus and mineral notes to the fore. The colour is pale gold with a green cast. The nose is precise and cool, with lemon, citrus peel and green apple over white peach and a light flinty edge. The palate is lean and finely balanced, the bright fruit carried by racy acidity and a long, saline finish. Serve at around 10 to 12 degrees in a white glass.