Crowd-Pleasing Chardonnay: 2021 M by Martellotto Chardonnay Santa Barbara
Martellotto is one of the most award-winning wineries in Santa Barbara County. Informed by Old World winemaking spirit and culture, Martellotto crafts wine of vibrant acidity combined with bright fruit and that intangible, hard to pinpoint X factor. Maybe that factor has to do with the sustainably farmed grapes that go into the wines or the creative fermentation techniques used by the skilled winemaker. Whatever it is, Martellotto’s wines are ones of consequence, consistency, value, and varietal expression.
An excellent example of that varietal expression is the 2021 M by Martellotto Chardonnay Santa Barbara. It’s grown in the Santa Maria Valley in the heart of the Santa Barbara county, one of the world’s most dynamic wine growing regions. Grape growing in the AVA is traced back to the early Mexican Colonial period in the 1800s. Wine Enthusiast named Santa Barbara the Wine Region of the Year in its 2021 Wine Star Awards, pointing out its outstanding wines and commitment to sustainability.
The conditions in Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara—particularly the sandy loam soil—make for exquisite Chardonnay. The grape finds a special home in the valley’s cool, Mediterranean climate.
The Chardonnay grown for the M by Martellotto thrive in this climate. The grapes are harvested at their optimum ripeness and then barrel aged in second and third-pass French oak. 100% malolactic fermentation gives the wine more weight in the mouth, but the oak is balanced, never overwhelming. In fact, this wine ages only in 1-2 year old French oak, so there is great mouthfeel without tasting like you’re licking a toasted piece of wood.
The result is a golden Chardonnay with classic apples, pears, and pineapple, a little honeysuckle, and just a touch of that buttered popcorn tell-tale Chardonnay giveaway. Pair with buttery foods, or simply drink on its own. It’s a rich, refreshing, and satisfying Chard.
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