THE LIQUID FARMER - Volume 8/Summer & Fall 2014 | Page 10

! ! ! ! ! ! ! “These three 2012 Chardonnays from Liquid Farm are among the most impressive Sta. Rita Hills wines I tasted this year. ! Industry veterans Nikki and Jeff Nelson enlisted the help of Brandon Sparks-Gillis and John Dragonette of Dragonette Cellars to get their project off the ground. The initial production of just four barrels has grown into several hundred cases of top-notch Chardonnay in just a few years. The Liquid Farm Chardonnays are made in a very personal and unique style that combines fruit intensity with vibrant, pulsating minerality. Readers who have an opportunity to taste these wines should not hesitate, as they are magnificent. My sense is that things are just getting started at Liquid Farm.”! From Santa Barbara: The Thrill of Discovery (Jul 2014) by Antonio Galloni! ! The 2012 Chardonnay White Hill is bright, focused and tightly wound. Lemon peel, crushed rocks, pear and smoke jump from the glass as the 2012 shows off its energetic personality. The style is focused and taut, especially with the style of the Sta. Rita Hills. Imagine a Chablis like sense of energy with the depth and radiance of California. If that sounds like an appealing combination, well, it is! the 2012 was done mostly in neutral oak, with some of the wine seeing only stainless steel. - $40.00. Drinking Window: 2014 - 2020 / 92 Points ! ! A drop-dead gorgeous wine, Liquid Farm's Chardonnay Golden Slope bursts from the glass with layers of yellow stone fruit and spices supported by beams of minerality. Smoke, slate, chamomile, sage and lightly honeyed notes add complexity on the super-expressive, pulsating finish. The 2012 is positively thrilling today and should continue to drink well for at least another handful of years. The Golden Slope spent 13 months in French oak, 15-20% new. - $50.00. Drinking Window: 2014 - 2020 / 94 Points! ! ! ! ! ! The 2012 Chardonnay Four is a selection of the best barrels in the cellar. Rich, deep and explosive, the Four hits the palate with serious intensity. Smoke, slate, dried pear and apricot pit burst from the glass in an exuberant Chardonnay built on compelling tension between fruit, acidity and minerality. This is another head-turning wine from Liquid Farm. The 2012 spent 14 months in French oak barrels, 25% new. - $74.00. Drinking Window: 2014 - 2020 / 94 Points!