2023 The Ojai Vineyard Clima Frio Chardonnay Santa Barbara County, USA

TASTING NOTE:
This 2023 Chardonnay is the first of our new Clima Frío series, and we couldn’t ask for a better vintage to debut this concept. Coming from two vineyards in the Western fringes of Santa Barbara County, this Chardonnay speaks to the nearby ocean’s influence. Coastal scents of sea spray and chalk are layered over candied lemon, almond blossoms, and leesiness that evokes sugar cookies. On the palate there’s great harmony between nervy citrus leanings and fleshy notes of stone fruit. Tense isn’t the right word; everything is too integrated. The balance is terrific and the wine closes with delicate spice, leesy richness and refreshing stony minerality.

ABOUT CLIMA FRÍO:
Our Clima Frío wines replace what we used to call Santa Barbara County cuvees. While that appellation-level name fit our Burgundian inspirations at The Ojai Vineyard, the name didn’t adequately capture what we’re doing in the region. Santa Barbara County is a large appellation with intense East-West temperature gradients, even within the Sta. Rita Hills, where some Eastern pockets are better suited to Syrah and Grenache than they are for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Clima Frío (or cool-climate) wines express our commitment to the coolest, most Western viticultural pockets of our region. Places where each variety benefits from ocean influence that ensures slow, gradual ripening with retention of nuance and natural acidity.

This 2023 Clima Frío Chardonnay comes from grapes grown at Rancho Ontiveros in the Santa Maria Valley (56%), along with fruit from Yellow Foxtrot (44%), a newer planting that’s nestled in the hills very close to Lompoc (just Northwest of the Sta. Rita Hills).

VINTAGE & WINEMAKING:
The 2023 vintage was the stuff of winemaker’s dreams. It started with solid fruit set in Spring, a cool Summer and Fall, and a late staggered harvest that stretched into November with everything reaching full ripeness. It was the first year we’ve picked all of our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in October.

This fruit was handpicked at night in the middle of month and was ready to press at our winery in the morning. After careful whole-cluster pressing the juice was settled overnight and barreled down into mostly older French oak barrels. It was immediately inoculated with our house-cultured native yeast (derived from fruit picked during sampling), and stirred throughout fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and slow. After aging on the lees for 9 months the wine was gently filtered and fined before bottling in June.

Blend: Rancho Ontiveros (56%), Yellow Foxtrot (44%)