Beautifully intense pale yellow gold. A bright nose of gardenias, jasmine, peach, lime, quince, green mango and honey. A fresh nectarine attack leads to a juicy mouth of apricot, lemon, grapefruit, kiwi and tangerine. A long refreshing Meyer lemon aftertaste lingers.
The 2021 growing season was characterized by a cool growing season and only one heat spike in mid-June. The lack of heat events and moderate, cool weather in September and October made the window of opportunity much longer for picking at optimal grape maturity. Due to the cool growing season, 2021 was one of the latest harvests in recent memory. Yields were average to above average in size. Long hang time on the vines resulted in concentrated flavors and above average acidity and quality is outstanding.
Vinification
Cold barrel fermentation
Barrels Type: 228-L Burgundy/French oak barrels Barrel Toasts: M, M+
Secondary Fermentation: 0%
Aging: 8 months in 228L - Burgundy French Oak barrels
Certification
National Women’s Business Enterprise, Certified by WBENC Sustainability in Practice, Certified by SIP
Specs
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Clones: 809, 17, 96
Vineyard: Spanish Springs
Appellation: San Luis Obispo Coast AVA
Location: Price Canyon, 1.5 miles east of Pismo Beach Soils: Marine shale, limestone, sandstone, fossilized shells Climate: Coolest climate in California, coastal fog Growing degree days: 2,018
Oceano Wines, founded by winemaker Rachel Martin and Grammy-award-winning producer Kurt Deutsch, is a collaboration that combines entrepreneurial excellence and winemaking expertise. The two met serendipitously at the Middleburg Film Festival in 2014, where they sat next to each other at a dinner before the screening of Kurt’s feature film, “The Last Five Years.”
Rachel has more than 20 years of experience growing grapes and producing wine at her family’s Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg, Virginia. Kurt, a senior vice president at Warner Music Entertainment, and producer of the Tony award-nominated musical, The Notebook, currently on Broadway. With their shared creative vision, they decided to create exceptional wines from the Spanish Springs Vineyard on the San Luis Obispo coast, the westernmost vineyard site in California. This location offers a cool climate ideal for producing some of the best red wines—specifically Pinot Noir—as well as exceptional Chardonnay wine.
Their partnership led to both their marriage in 2018 and the release of their first wine, the 2016 Spanish Springs Vineyard Chardonnay. Oceano Wines is now recognized for its outstanding traditional and certified sustainable wines, as well as its best non-alcoholic wine options, appealing to many a wine connoisseur, worldwide.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
@RachelOceano@rjquillin The reviews and your mention of no secondary (malolactic?) fermentation seem to suggest a lack of diacetyl notes. I am not a fan of buttery chards but maybe this is one for me?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Oceano Chardonnay - $30 = 16.66%
y’all are probably all over those notes mentioned above, but hey…
Wine Enthusiast:
90 points. Lively aromas of pear, nectarine, gardenia and chiseled stone show on the nose of this bottling. A zippy line of acidity sails across the sip, where apple flesh, white flower and orange-blossom flavors align. — Matt Kettmann 12/1/23
Anthony Gismondi On Wine, who we learned they run the gamut on ratings models:
92 points. 17 out of 20. 4 glasses out of 5. Oceano Wines is a boutique winery founded in 2016 in San Luis Obispo Coast, the newly designated AVA highlighting this cool climate wine region. This comes off the Spanish Springs Vineyard, the westernmost vineyard in the US, 1.5 miles from the Pacific, on a mix of marine shale, limestone, sandstone. This Chardonnay, off clones 809, 17, and 96, was fermented in 228L French oak barrels, where it remained for 9 months. Fresh and bright, layered with green apple, lemon verbena, fresh almond, along a fragrant, lightly creamy palate, this finishes with a wash of salinity. Very smart, modern Cali chardy. Treve Ring 6/15/23
jancisrobinson.com:
17+ (again out of 20). Smells of lemon curd, sea air, a hint of grapefruit and crushed nuts. Bright, stony flavours of lemon pith, lemon oil and a touch of yellow herbs have a nice crispness thanks to excellent acidity. There’s lemon pith-and-peel dryness on the finish with a slightly chalky texture. Very pretty. Alder Yarrow Drink 2023 - 2026 6/6/23
Burst of lemon on the nose. Color is very light straw yellow and transparent. Initial taste is fresh lemon peel and grapefruit, bright and puckering with some accompanying bitterness. Lingering dry finish with briny stone, green tea, and vanilla. Softens a bit when paired with cheese and other fatty food. Didn’t change much over time nor mellow out even the next morning. Some very slight creamy elements came out, but certainly not buttery.
Really interesting and somewhat atypical Chardonnay. The grape is definitely there, but it’s almost as if they blended it with some of that vermentino from the other day. I love that wine, so def not a bad thing. Anyway, I can totally see what the vintner means when they say Chardonnay for the Anything But Chardonnay crowd. Happy to answer any questions.
@RachelOceano I wasn’t trying to suggest otherwise. I was just referring to the flavors I was getting across my very armature palate. Thank you so much for the details, regardless. I’m excited to look these up and go down a rabbit hole!
2021 Oceano Chardonnay, Spanish Springs Vineyard
92+ Points - Jancisrobinson.com
92 Points - Anthony Gismondi
90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Vinification
Certification
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$420.00/Case for 12x 2021 Oceano Chardonnay, San Luis Obispo at Oceano Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 11 - Tuesday, Nov 12
2021 Oceano Chardonnay
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
@RachelOceano
Welcome back.
Might you have the labs for the RS and pH on this one?
@rjquillin
happy to be back! The RS is 1.5 g/L and pH is 3.17
@RachelOceano
Thanks, added those into the specs above.
Sounds like this should be dry and crisp.
You do rise and shine early in the morn…
@RachelOceano @rjquillin The reviews and your mention of no secondary (malolactic?) fermentation seem to suggest a lack of diacetyl notes. I am not a fan of buttery chards but maybe this is one for me?
@rjquillin @woopdedoo
yes you nailed it! This is a mineral driven style. No buttery flavors. It’s the Chardonnay for the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) crowd.
@RachelOceano @rjquillin Thanks! In for a case.
@rjquillin @woopdedoo awesome ️
VAN GOGH! MANGO! TANGO! AWESOME!
@rjquillin yes I do!
@RachelOceano
and I just got my delivery notice from your earlier PN offer as well;
that was fast. Thanks
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Oceano Chardonnay - $30 = 16.66%
y’all are probably all over those notes mentioned above, but hey…
Wine Enthusiast:
90 points. Lively aromas of pear, nectarine, gardenia and chiseled stone show on the nose of this bottling. A zippy line of acidity sails across the sip, where apple flesh, white flower and orange-blossom flavors align. — Matt Kettmann 12/1/23
Anthony Gismondi On Wine, who we learned they run the gamut on ratings models:
92 points. 17 out of 20. 4 glasses out of 5. Oceano Wines is a boutique winery founded in 2016 in San Luis Obispo Coast, the newly designated AVA highlighting this cool climate wine region. This comes off the Spanish Springs Vineyard, the westernmost vineyard in the US, 1.5 miles from the Pacific, on a mix of marine shale, limestone, sandstone. This Chardonnay, off clones 809, 17, and 96, was fermented in 228L French oak barrels, where it remained for 9 months. Fresh and bright, layered with green apple, lemon verbena, fresh almond, along a fragrant, lightly creamy palate, this finishes with a wash of salinity. Very smart, modern Cali chardy. Treve Ring 6/15/23
jancisrobinson.com:
17+ (again out of 20). Smells of lemon curd, sea air, a hint of grapefruit and crushed nuts. Bright, stony flavours of lemon pith, lemon oil and a touch of yellow herbs have a nice crispness thanks to excellent acidity. There’s lemon pith-and-peel dryness on the finish with a slightly chalky texture. Very pretty. Alder Yarrow Drink 2023 - 2026 6/6/23
fwiw
/giphy plain-ticklish-pork
Burst of lemon on the nose. Color is very light straw yellow and transparent. Initial taste is fresh lemon peel and grapefruit, bright and puckering with some accompanying bitterness. Lingering dry finish with briny stone, green tea, and vanilla. Softens a bit when paired with cheese and other fatty food. Didn’t change much over time nor mellow out even the next morning. Some very slight creamy elements came out, but certainly not buttery.
Really interesting and somewhat atypical Chardonnay. The grape is definitely there, but it’s almost as if they blended it with some of that vermentino from the other day. I love that wine, so def not a bad thing. Anyway, I can totally see what the vintner means when they say Chardonnay for the Anything But Chardonnay crowd. Happy to answer any questions.
@char2na it’s 100% Chardonnay. A blend of 3 clone 17, 809 and 96
@char2na @RachelOceano With their somewhat unique profiles curious as to percentage of each in the final blend?
@RachelOceano I wasn’t trying to suggest otherwise. I was just referring to the flavors I was getting across my very armature palate. Thank you so much for the details, regardless. I’m excited to look these up and go down a rabbit hole!
40/40/20 respectively