Sandar & Hem Mindego Ridge Chardonnay 2018

Eight miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, atop a ridge of fractured Purisima Shale, lies the Mindego Ridge Vineyard. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are at home here on steep, south-facing slopes shaped by a heavily marine-influenced climate — producing wines of intense minerality, complexity, and character.

A striking and well-layered nose combines mineral reduction with fresh citrus and just-ripe pineapple, opening to notes of green almond, hazelnut, and fennel. On the palate, the wine is deep, complex, and very mineral in personality — bracing with nerve yet beautifully elegant. The combination of punch and finesse rockets through the finish, as citrus and tree-fruit give way to roasted nuts and crushed rocks.

Vineyard: Mindego Ridge (fractured Purisima Shale, 8 miles from ocean) | Region: Santa Cruz Mountains | Ageing: 12 months French oak (20% new), then 6 months stainless steel | Ratings: 94 pts Wine Enthusiast (Editor’s Choice), 93 pts Vinous (2020–2026)