Cambria Estate 2022 Chardonnay, Katherine's Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County

The Cambria 2022 Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay unfolds like early morning in Santa Maria Valley—bright lemon peel and tangerine blossom drift forward, layered with crème brûlée candor and a dusting of toasted hazelnut. It’s fragrant without swagger, framed by a slate tremor that sits underneath, not on top.

On the palate, the richness unfolds with poise. Orchard fruit—white peach, Bosc pear, and apple pie—rises from a center supported by brisk acidity. A thread of tang sharpens the mid-palate, carrying sweet detail into clarity instead of dilution. It breathes, it doesn’t announce.

That “refrigerated sunshine” Cambria likes to say? It’s real. Katherine’s Vineyard lives where fog hangs long and ancient seabed soils—fossilized shells, limestone, shale—define depth. That contrast, between coast-cooled and sun-ripened, gives weight without warmth overtaking nuance.

2022 stands out for its restraint. Winemaker Jill Russell pulled back on new oak, leaning more on steel and older barrels to let the vineyard’s voice breathe. The result is balance—oak for texture, not influence; freshness takes the driver’s seat.

This Chardonnay is not a fanfare—it’s a presence. Open beside oysters, roast salmon, or let it sit as you unwind. It doesn’t ask to be noticed—it asks to be remembered.

Cambria “Katherine’s Vineyard” 2022 Chardonnay—ocean-inhale, mineral draw, and clarity in every sip.