There are few young winemakers in the business with more raw talent than Sam Smith. His wines have that magical balance of edgy, electric vibrancy, elegant refinement, and quiet repose all at the same time. They show incredible purity and a vivid sense of place. Made using very non-interventionist techniques, they remain polished and sophisticated nonetheless. The 2024 Les Granitiers Chardonnay is built around three high-elevation vineyards in Monterey County, each with dramatic terroir. Coastview Vineyard sits at 2,300 feet in the Gabilan Mountains, planted in hard granitic soils, above the fog but constantly cooled by ocean breezes. Pelio Vineyard rises 1,000 feet above the Carmel Valley floor, again cooled by Monterey Bay, but also defined by its striking diatomaceous shale soils that seem to impart complex minerality to the wines. Then there is Fogstone, a site in the northern, windswept part of the Santa Lucia Highlands, where granitic loam soils and progressive organic farming produce highly concentrated, flavorful clusters of fruit. Sam weaves these sites together with deft precision, and the results are mesmerizing. Complex aromas of struck flint, crystalline preserved citrus, crushed granite, crunchy orchard fruit, and saline minerality carry through to a long, Chablis-like finish. This is focused, racy, mineral-driven Chardonnay done to perfection. Delicious now for its electric drive and freshness, it will no doubt age beautifully for 5-10 years if you can resist it that long. Best Chardonnay in California? It’s right up there, for sure.

My favorite Central Coast Chardonnay we carry. This wine is light and crisp, with notes of pear, apple, and lemon zest with a distinct undertone of honey. The finish is long and clean, carried by wonderful minerality. An incredible choice for lovers of light and crisp coastal Chardonnay.

Sometimes you just smell a wine and smart smiling, gosh diggity darnit if this isn't just that type of wine. Seriously my only note for this from the tasting is "lol shut up" it's that good, and I'm that small brained. There's this super fresh and pure fruit at the very front, with this really lovely mix of apple and lemon and then it has this perfect roundness, it smells completely spherical to me, in this kind of perfect way. The palate is fresh, bright, with amazing minerality and more roundness from the barrels. There's super bright and fresh apple doused with lemon, lemon curd, really dry and stony granite minerality, and then after that some bruised apple with more lemon. It's this palate that hits you from so many directions at once, it's totally entrancing. I don't know if perfection is attainable, but this is more than close enough.