2017 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
One of the great values out there, the 2017 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills offers thrilling notes of white flowers, white peach, currants, and toasted bread. This ripe, sexy wine is unquestionably at the same level as the more expensive single vineyard releases, and it will evolve for just as long. This was another thrilling lineup from Greg Brewer, and I consistently rate these wines as some of the greatest in the Sta. Rita Hills, as well as all of Santa Barbara County. In addition to the latest releases, I was also able to taste retrospectives of his Chardonnay 3D and Pinot Noir Machado, which only reaffirmed my belief in the quality and age-worthiness of these wines. These are brilliant wines.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a gorgeous appellation-level wine from Brewer-Clifton. Creamy and ample, the 2017 is absolutely delicious. Tangerine, mint, lemon peel and sweet spice notes all meld together in a striking, nuanced Chardonnay that hits all the right notes. The 2017 is positively stellar. That's pretty much all there is to it.
The 2017 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills has a fresh, open nose of Golden Delicious apple, yellow pear, acacia flowers, crushed stone and white peach. Light to medium-bodied with ripe fruits and integrated acidity, it has a long, minerally finish. About 2,500 cases were produced.