Although California Chardonnay stereotypes persist (there’s a brand out there called “Butter” on prominent display in supermarkets), we may be at an inflection point with this variety in this place—both winemakers and consumers alike seem to have united behind a more balanced, mineral, place-driven style. 
Sandhi partners Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman have done as much as anyone to get us here, and today’s Central Coast Chardonnay perfectly captures the new paradigm—texture without excess weight, freshness and minerality, modest alcohol and oak. This is the new flagship from Sandhi, replacing their “Santa Barbara County” bottling, which had been Sandhi’s mainstay since 2009. According to Parr, it wasn’t just the price of grapes but the desire to work with the most sustainable growers possible that led him further afield in search of the best possible ingredients for this wine—he and Moorman have extended their reach to San Luis Obispo County and beyond, obtaining prized Chardonnay from the legendary Talley Vineyard, in Arroyo Grande, and Phelan Farm in the seaside town of Cambria, where Parr will soon be making his home and farming a vineyard of his own. Today’s 2019 doesn’t merely promise the “cool climate” character that characterizes the best white Burgundies—it delivers, and then some. It’s a brave new world out there for Chardonnay lovers, and Parr/Moorman are right at the forefront—this is not to be missed!
Today’s high-wire 2019, labeled as “Central Coast” thanks to three new fruit sources, was fermented with only ambient yeasts in a combination of used French oak barriques and larger oak puncheon. It aged briefly in neutral barrels before its recent release, so it is still youthful and fresh—give it a quick splash-decant to accelerate its aeration and you’ll encounter a beautifully ripe and aromatic Chardonnay lifted by freshness. In the glass, it’s a medium straw-gold with hints of green at the rim, with bright aromas of lemon curd, nectarine, yellow apple, citrus, chamomile, and wet stones. It is medium-bodied, with Sandhi’s signature mix of texture and tension—its depth is expressed in persistence, not weight. Decant it 15 minutes or so before service in all-purpose stems and put its crystalline freshness to work with some Pacific seafood if possible: Santa Barbara Spot Prawns always leap immediately to mind when Central Coast Chardonnay is at the table, but all types of seafood are welcome. Squeeze on plenty of lemon and enjoy—you won’t miss white Burgundy one bit!