# Tyler Santa Barbara County Chardonnay (2024)

- **Producer:** Tyler Winery
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €28
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, blossom, ginger, vanilla, butter, toast

## About this wine

Tyler Winery was established in 2005 by Santa Barbara native Justin Tyler Willett at the age of 24. Starting with only a few barrels in a shared cellar, Willett has grown Tyler into one of the most respected, globally recognized boutique wineries in California's Central Coast. The winery focuses on producing wines of restraint, clarity of site, and crystalline salinity. This Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is a regional blend that draws from some of the most prestigious, historic, cool-climate vineyards in the area, including Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict. These sites benefit from the unique transverse valleys of the region, which channel cool marine winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean, extending the growing season and preserving natural acidity.

## Interesting facts

- Winemaker Justin Tyler Willett founded Tyler Winery in 2005 at just 24 years old, starting with only a few barrels in a shared cellar.
- The wine is sourced from legendary vineyards including Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict, featuring vines planted as early as 1971.
- Tyler's winemaking philosophy is 'power in the absence of weight,' avoiding the heavy, buttery style often associated with California.

## Food pairing

This Chardonnay's high acidity and vibrant mineral core cut beautifully through rich, textured dishes, while its subtle oak integration and lees contact complement creamy sauces and roasted white meats. The absence of heavy, buttery weight allows it to pair elegantly with delicate seafood without overpowering it.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process at Tyler Winery emphasizes a non-interventionist, thoughtful approach to preserve the natural tension and freshness of the fruit. Grapes are 100% hand-harvested at night to maintain cool temperatures. The fruit is whole-cluster pressed to tank and settled briefly before undergoing spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Once active, the must is transferred to French oak barrels (barriques and puncheons), with no more than 10% to 15% new oak. The wine undergoes full, natural malolactic fermentation in barrel, but no battonage (lees stirring) is performed to ensure maximum freshness. After aging sur lie for approximately 10 months, the wine is racked to stainless steel tanks for an additional 2 to 3 months of integration before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.