This 2017 Chardonnay opens with elegant aromas of gunflint, toast, and crushed shell, layered with vibrant notes of Bosc pear, lemon pith, green apple, white peach, and white blossoms. The palate is light to medium-bodied, showcasing fresh, mineral-driven flavors balanced by juicy acidity. It finishes long and lively with a gently textured, refined presence. Made with minimal intervention and native yeast fermentation, it expresses a pure sense of place and balance.

The Wine Advocate | RP 91
Published: Sep 12, 2019
Drink: 2019-2026

The 2017 Chardonnay opens with notions of gunflint, toast and crushed shell with layers of Bosc pear, lemon pith, green apple, white peaches and white blossoms. The light to medium-bodied palate offers fresh, pure, mineral-driven flavors in the mouth with juicy acidity and a long, lively, gently textured finish. 2,500 cases produced. 

Tylerwinery.com

A son of Santa Barbara, Justin Tyler Willett began Tyler in 2005 at the age of 24 with a few barrels tucked away in the corner of the Sta. Rita Hills cellar he was working in at the time. It was there, as the assistant winemaker, he honed his approach to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

With a firm belief that winemaking starts in the vineyard and the sincere desire to have minimal impact on the environment, grapes are farmed organically, handpicked at night, and sorted by hand at the winery. In the cellar, all lots are fermented using native yeast in large oak vats, and once dry the wines are put down to barrel for their elevage. The use of new oak varies by vineyard, vine age, and vintage and is used in a way that only complements, never overshadowing the wine. After a year or so in barrel, the wines are racked, blended, and returned to the barrel for a few additional months before being bottled, typically unfined and unfiltered.