# Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay (2018)

- **Producer:** Sandhi
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €38
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, grapefruit, apple, pear, peach, blossom, fennel, butter, cream, toast, vanilla, hazelnut, honey

## About this wine

Sandhi is a boutique winery in Santa Barbara County, founded in 2010 by legendary sommelier Rajat Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman. The name 'Sandhi' is Sanskrit for 'alliance' or 'collaboration,' representing the union between man, earth, and vine. This Chardonnay is sourced from select cool-climate vineyards across the wind-swept Sta. Rita Hills AVA, where marine soils and chilly Pacific breezes yield fruit of exceptional energy, tension, and mineral drive.

## Interesting facts

- Co-founded by Rajat Parr, one of the world's most influential sommeliers and champions of balanced, low-alcohol wines.
- The name 'Sandhi' is a Sanskrit word meaning 'collaboration,' celebrating the partnership between grower, winemaker, and nature.
- Sourced from extreme cool-climate vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, where daily Pacific fog and wind preserve intense natural acidity.

## Food pairing

This cool-climate Chardonnay thrives alongside dishes that match its vibrant acidity and subtle texture. The wine's bright citrus and saline mineral notes cut beautifully through rich seafood like scallops or crab, while its gentle neutral-oak aging and malolactic texture complement creamy sauces, roasted poultry, and earthy mushroom dishes without overpowering them.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested and gently whole-cluster pressed. Fermentation occurs spontaneously using native yeasts in neutral French oak barrels and puncheons, as well as concrete vessels, to preserve the pristine fruit character. The wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation but is aged with minimal lees stirring (bâtonnage) to maintain its signature high acidity and linear structure. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.