Bien Nacido Estate Collection Chardonnay 2022

Bien Nacido Estate Collection Chardonnay 2022
13.5% alcohol, cork, Santa Maria Valley.

I visited Bien Nacido Estate as part of a focus on sustainability in the Californian wine industry. I came away both impressed with the sustainability focus – “sustainability is the starting point to making a better product,” vineyard manager Greg Gonzalez said – and excited by the wines themselves. This chardonnay was the first wine from the estate that I tasted. It shot my pulse up a notch.

Bien Nacido Estate Collection Chardonnay 2022 is seriously good. It’s so powerful but, also, so balanced. Stonefriut, melon, cream, honey, cedar and woodsmoke characters invigorate the palate, the latter skirting close to smoked bacon. But at every step, the fruit is the champion of this wine, as is the length. This chardonnay spins straight into gorgeous territory. 95 points.