Loner The Golden Hour Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 2019

Loner is the newest brainchild of Matthias Pippig, a German-born, Central Coast-based winemaker extraordinaire. He’s erected a hip winery in a converted warehouse in Santa Barbara’s industrial zone (yes, they have one) a few blocks from the beach. He makes fresh, delicious, and highly regarded wines with fruit from cool-climate vineyards in the nearby Sta. Rita Hills. A bit of a mad scientist, he and his wife Jamie have been tinkering with different blends and varieties since 2004. We first fell in love with a red blend he made under their Sanguis label and placed it in our Kahuna Club a few years back. Music is a big part of Matthias’ life, and jazz and hip-hop record albums line the walls of his winery. So, a musical analogy is perfect for the Loner project because as the name implies, some varietals are better as a solo act than part of a band. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are two of these. Both are so adept at expressing a sense of place that it would be a shame to blend them: these varieties do not like to play second fiddle!  Since we’ve been getting into vinyl ourselves lately here at ACME, we’ve included a few tracks that Matthias recommends jamming out to while enjoying these fantastic wines, along with the tasting notes below.

100% Chardonnay from two magical blocks located in the John Sebastiano vineyard. Gently pressed and fermented with native yeast, this wine aged gracefully in neutral, large format barrels for two years. Reminiscent of Chablis, this wine features aromas of heirloom apple, lemon curd, and kaffir lime. It is coursed through with minerality and vibrant, bright acidity. Enjoy while playing “Sunny Afternoon” by the Kinks, “Strange Invitation” by Beck, and “Florida” by Modest Mouse.