93 Points — Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Drink Date: 2025 - 2033
Built around estate vines at the Domaine de la Côte property, the 2023 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is one of the more impressive "regional" bottlings of the vintage. It is beautifully complex on the nose, melding white flowers, hazelnut, sea spray and green apple aromas with dexterity and grace. The palate is tensile, elastic and savory, transitioning into a precisely rendered finish defined by marine-driven flavors and striking purity. Alongside the ongoing evolution at Domaine de la Côte, the 2023 vintage at Sandhi marks a move away from purchased Pinot Noir, with greater focus on Chardonnay, an increasing portion of which comes from younger plantings at Domaine de la Côte. This change is most evident in the overperforming Sta. Rita Hills bottling and reaches its peak in the gorgeous Romance bottling. Overall, Sandhi wines see less new oak and more sulfur additions compared to those of Domaine de la Côte. The brand is also shifting from direct-to-consumer sales toward restaurant and retail distribution, aiming to present a compelling regional expression at accessible prices. Published: Nov 06, 2025

92 Points — Vinous
Drinking Window 2025 - 2031
The 2023 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills delivers everything you'd want from an appellation wine in this excellent corner of the world for Chardonnay: saline energy, deep stone fruit character, textural grip and superb balance. Fresh and energetic, the cool-toned, polished 2023 is a winner. - By Billy Norris, August 2025
The 2023 vintage is decidedly more successful for Chardonnay than Pinot Noir for Sashi Moorman and the team at Sandhi. Whereas the Pinot Noirs are very light and on the stemmy side, the Chardonnays are powerful, confident and articulate.

Technical Details

• Appellation: Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
• Variety: 100% Chardonnay
• Primary fruit source: Chardonnay planted adjacent to Sandhi’s Domaine de la Côte estate
• Terroir: Cool, windswept vineyards influenced by the nearby Pacific Ocean and ancient marine-derived soils
• Fermentation: Indigenous yeasts
• Fermentation and aging vessels: 500-liter barrels
• Élevage: 10 months in 500-liter barrels followed by seven months in stainless-steel tank
• Alcohol: 13.1%
• Production: 4,249 cases
• Style: Dry, mineral-driven and medium-bodied
• Serving temperature: Approximately 50–55°F
• Cellaring: Excellent now with some air; it should develop well through approximately 2032
• Food pairings: Oysters, scallops, grilled fish, roast chicken, lobster, creamy pastas and soft-ripened cheeses

Our Take

Sandhi’s Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay has quietly become one of the best values in serious California Chardonnay. Made by Sashi Moorman, this is about as far removed from the heavy, buttery and overly-oaked style of California Chardonnay as you can get. The inspiration may come from Burgundy, but the wine remains a distinctly coastal expression of the Sta. Rita Hills.

Most of the fruit comes from Chardonnay vines planted beside their Domaine de la Côte estate, where cold Pacific winds and ancient seabed soils naturally preserve acidity and give the wine its distinctive saline, mineral character. It is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in larger 500-liter barrels before spending another seven months in stainless steel—a thoughtful élevage that builds texture without covering the wine in oak.

The 2023 opens with flint, lemon oil, green apple and white flowers, followed by subtle hazelnut, ginger and sea-spray notes. It is tightly wound and mineral on entry, but gradually broadens through the middle while remaining bright, savory and beautifully balanced. There is real texture here, but also terrific freshness at just 13.1% alcohol.

With scores of 93 and 92 points, this delivers the precision, tension and complexity we look for in much more expensive Chardonnay. For those who love white Burgundy—or cooler, more restrained California producers such as Ceritas, Mount Eden and Racines—this is an easy recommendation and a tremendous bottle for the money.