Samuel Louis Smith Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay Spear Vineyard 2024

Name: Samuel Louis Smith Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay Spear Vineyard 2024
Brand: Vintage 59 [V59]
SKU: SF-1-V59--051326-78
Price: 54.99 USD
Availability: InStock

$54⁹⁹

Spear Vineyard is one of the most talked-about young sites in the Sta. Rita Hills - planted in 2014, farmed organically by Ofer Shepher, climbing steep north-facing slopes along Highway 246 with marine clay, sand, and chert in the soil. Sam Smith - the former Morgan winemaker turned micro-negociant - treats the fruit with restraint, fermenting on native yeast in tank with partial malolactic, then aging in a mix of new and neutral oak plus stainless. The result is Chardonnay with cut and tension: brioche and almond skin on top, gunflint and Meyer lemon underneath, all wrapped in electric acid.

Shipping

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Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
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Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

We stand behind every bottle we sell.

If the wine is less than 10 years old and it is corked, you may return it to us for a full refund or exchange within 60 days of purchase. You must show us proof of purchase. We understand that you may not live near a shop and that it is difficult to ship open bottles of wine to us, so if there's any problem feel free to Contact Us and we'll work it out.
For wines older than 10 years, the consumer bears the risk of a faulty cork, but we accept returns of older bottles if the wine is faulty as a result of improper storage. Please come by the store or Contact Us if there is a problem.
We may, at our discretion and to the extent permitted by law, accept returns of unopened wines within 30 days of purchase if they were properly stored by the purchaser, subject to a 15% re-stocking fee.

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Saturday: 12pm - 5pm

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Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (415) 780-1405

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Wine Enthusiast

96 points

"The subtlety of this Chardonnay ensures long aging potential, as the delicate notes will evolve in harmony together. Aromas of chalk, cold marble and Asian pear recall a silky white slip on the nose. A tongue-tantalizing brightness inhibits the palate, where flashes of citrus and stonefruit ride an energetic, texturally taut frame. Drink now-2040." —Matt Kettmann

More about Samuel Louis Smith

Sam Smith is making some of the best wine in an area littered with exceptional producers. As the winemaker at Morgan Winery, the groundbreaking Central Coast producer, Sam was given the opportunity to find where his palate and California’s cool, mountainous Central Coast terroir converge. That is exactly what he is doing at his namesake label Samuel Louis Smith.

Sam cut his teeth and developed his palette while making Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley, cool-climate Syrah in the Northern Rhône, and as assistant winemaker for Margerum Wine. He knew that in order to make the type of wine he wanted he would have to seek out the coldest spot in the Central Coast coolest (temperature, not jazz) regions. Each site is unique in its soil composition but all are blessed with high mineral content low in organic matter, the perfect recipe for low yielding vines that produce fruit of exceptional quality and concentration. All of the sights he works with are organic or in the process of converting.

Sam crafts these gems in a neoclassical style, using light handling and wild fermentations to create wines of place and purity, aroma and structure. While plans for estate vineyards are in the works, “For now, I am sourcing fruit from the most distinctive sustainably farmed vineyards,” says Sam.

All of the wines are made in tiny quantities about 600 cases each which is probably why most folks have not heard of him. This will soon change. That’s because Sam’s wines are in the upper tier when it comes to quality for the region. They offer exceptional value, as they are considerably less expensive than anything at this level. Acquiring these wins was a no brainer for us.

Organic viticulture, mountainous terroir, and minimal intervention in the cellar are the tenets of Samuel Louis Smith Wines. For lovers of elegantly unadorned Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Syrah these are some of the most exciting examples from California we have tasted in a very long time.