About The Wine
Huber Vineyard is one of the oldest vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County, planted by Norm and Troudl Huber, who immigrated to the United States from Germany in their youth. The vineyard was planted in 1987 to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and later Dornfelder. Huber Vineyard happens to be in one of the coldest pockets in the Sta. Rita Hills, and up to 400 ft. above sea level, the vineyard is protected from the harsh winds by the surrounding, taller hills. We always felt there was a certain German sensibility, an old-world wisdom, that trickled down from Norm and Troudl into their Huber Vineyard grapes. While our Huber Vineyard Chardonnay benefits from the location's consistently cool growing seasons, ocean breezes, coastal fog and incredible loam soils, each vintage since our first in 2013 has proven to produce an exciting and unique expression of Huber Vineyard. This Chardonnay went through a long-cold fermentation before it was barrel-aged in 30% new French oak barrels and 70% neutral French oak barrels for 375 days. All of our vineyard designated wines express the nuanced characteristics discovered on remarkably unique and excellent vineyards.
The AVA
With a total area of 30,720 acres, the Sta. Rita Hills AVA is home to over 59 vineyards, totaling 2,700 hundred acres planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and 18 other cool climate wine grape varieties. The combination of a purely East/West maritime throat, poor marine-based soils, elevated calcium in the soil and the Pacific’s cooling influence through fog, wind and moderating summer heat combine to form one of the world’s best cool-climate viticulture areas for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Winemaker Notes
Wet clay, squeezed lemon and lightly toasted pecan show on the nose of this bottling. There's ripeness to the lemon-juice-driven palate as well as a rounded cashew cream character. The acidity is striking, nearly piercing by the finish.
