Nisi Wines Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 2024

What we love most about wine is the discovery phase—meeting winemakers just as their vision is fully taking shape. These are immensely talented people who have quietly honed their craft in some of the world's most respected cellars, in Napa Valley and beyond, and then reach a point where they decide to step out on their own. Getting to know these producers at the very beginning of that journey allows us to connect their work with collectors seeking wines from the best new talent. Building meaningful connections like this has been ACME's mission for the past 23 years.

Adam Edelman of Nisi Wines is one we're watching closely, and his debut Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills is a compelling first look at a voice already grounded in vineyard instinct and restraint. Before launching Nisi, Adam spent over a decade working with some of Napa Valley's benchmark estates, including Aubert and Realm. Rather than continue within established programs, he made a deliberate shift, choosing to focus entirely on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills and to build something that reflects his own point of view. 

The 2024 Chardonnay stands out with its distinctly reductive profile—flinty, smoky, and tightly coiled, gradually revealing intricate layers of sandstone, crushed oyster shell, and lemon zest. This character is a direct result of the unique conditions at Fiddlestix Vineyard, where the proximity to the Pacific and the vineyard’s soil composition combine to produce wines with pronounced mineral tension. On the palate, a silken, finely etched texture supports a vivid core of fruit, framed by electric acidity and a line of saline minerality—a signature of Sta. Rita Hills. Rather than relying on sheer power, this Chardonnay moves in graceful layers, offering an unfolding experience and a long, tapered persistence that commands attention. This is a distinctive Chardonnay valued exactly right!