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?
@RachelOceano It’s a Winner! I really got it for Mrs. WdD, and she favors SB. It is a bit tart for me, but it is just a weird thing I have with sour things hurting my teeth. (strangely, I rarely have any issue with reds) So … 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
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!
It was a delight to get the email from Alice notifying me of being selected for be a Lab Rat. The package quickly came, and yielded this:
Full disclosure: I am not typically a fan of Chardonnay – blasted in the early years with over-oaked and/or heavy malolactic fermentation products that felt like a gut bomb. I’ve certainly noticed a trend towards a more simplistic, yet refined approach to Chardonnay, and I’m open to exploring. Given the location of the vineyards heightened the expectation of something different in this varietal.
I refrigerated immediately, then came back after a couple of hours for the ubiquitous pop-and-pour for the first sampling. Temperature was approximately 50 degrees – ice-cold whites are not for me!
So this offering fits nicely into the second category, to my delight. On the nose, no butter, no oak, just a clean, crisp lightly fragrant essence of …… hard to say. It was a little mineral, wet stone, slight floral aromas with not much fruit at all. A little swirling intensified the aromas and the curiosity factor.
First sip was an amazing surprise! Double-checked the bottle to make sure it didn’t say Sauvignon Blanc – it’s that unlike a typical Chard! It was slightly sweet, then gave way to a tartness, an astringent quality that was not like any Chard experienced by me. Fruit? This was hard. Not the pear/green apple/starfruit often found in a Chard, but the best comparison I had was a lemon bar – sweet yet tart, and a wonderful mouthfeel that was quite pleasant. A little grapefruit snuck in on the finish. The mineral qualities were still present, but very much in the background.
This is not a porch pounder! However, I didn’t pair with any meal, but enjoyed it with a pleasant late afternoon decompression on the back deck with the better half.
Again, this is not your parents’ Chardonnay. This would certainly pair well with the cheese and fruit hors d’oeuvres, but keeping to the lighter side. Or, just by itself.
Now as I’m posting, I see that I am a little late to the party! My apologies, I was expecting a 12 midnight (east coast) submission of the report, but I see it’s been active for a day or so. Hope this is in time to help with any buy decisions!
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
@rjquillin great!!!
@RachelOceano
outstanding participation on your part,
and that generally helps sales here;
Thanks, in for another case, well done.
adherent-artificial-protest
@rjquillin its a pleasure to chat with everyone. Thank you
@RachelOceano It’s a Winner! I really got it for Mrs. WdD, and she favors SB. It is a bit tart for me, but it is just a weird thing I have with sour things hurting my teeth. (strangely, I rarely have any issue with reds) So … THANKS!
@RachelOceano @woopdedoo
I need to figure out which of my unopened boxes this is in.
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!
@char2na @kaolis for sure and I think Vermentino makes sense. Some people say Sauvignon Blanc
@char2na @RachelOceano Would you consider your Chardonnay similar to a Chablis?
@char2na @mrn1 yes exactly. Many people say it’s like a grand cru Chablis.
@RachelOceano Glad I grabbed a case! Sorry I didn’t do the same with your Pinot Noir! I won’t make that mistake again!
@mrn1 thank you so much.
@mrn1 @RachelOceano
My Pinot was delivered yesterday.Might need to open one this weekend.
@karenhynes @RachelOceano Please don’t tell me it’s delicious!🫣
40/40/20 respectively
It was a delight to get the email from Alice notifying me of being selected for be a Lab Rat. The package quickly came, and yielded this:
Full disclosure: I am not typically a fan of Chardonnay – blasted in the early years with over-oaked and/or heavy malolactic fermentation products that felt like a gut bomb. I’ve certainly noticed a trend towards a more simplistic, yet refined approach to Chardonnay, and I’m open to exploring. Given the location of the vineyards heightened the expectation of something different in this varietal.
I refrigerated immediately, then came back after a couple of hours for the ubiquitous pop-and-pour for the first sampling. Temperature was approximately 50 degrees – ice-cold whites are not for me!
So this offering fits nicely into the second category, to my delight. On the nose, no butter, no oak, just a clean, crisp lightly fragrant essence of …… hard to say. It was a little mineral, wet stone, slight floral aromas with not much fruit at all. A little swirling intensified the aromas and the curiosity factor.
First sip was an amazing surprise! Double-checked the bottle to make sure it didn’t say Sauvignon Blanc – it’s that unlike a typical Chard! It was slightly sweet, then gave way to a tartness, an astringent quality that was not like any Chard experienced by me. Fruit? This was hard. Not the pear/green apple/starfruit often found in a Chard, but the best comparison I had was a lemon bar – sweet yet tart, and a wonderful mouthfeel that was quite pleasant. A little grapefruit snuck in on the finish. The mineral qualities were still present, but very much in the background.
This is not a porch pounder! However, I didn’t pair with any meal, but enjoyed it with a pleasant late afternoon decompression on the back deck with the better half.
Again, this is not your parents’ Chardonnay. This would certainly pair well with the cheese and fruit hors d’oeuvres, but keeping to the lighter side. Or, just by itself.
Now as I’m posting, I see that I am a little late to the party! My apologies, I was expecting a 12 midnight (east coast) submission of the report, but I see it’s been active for a day or so. Hope this is in time to help with any buy decisions!
Cheers!
you had me at “lemon bar”
/giphy sneaky-rewarding-tortoise