2018 Chardonnay Double L Vineyard

This long-established winery was founded by Dan Morgan Lee in 1982 and produces a wide range of wines from a number of varieties, but it made its name with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These are consistently highly expressive, fruit-driven and polished in style, with a present but not excessive oak presence when they’re young. Winemaking is overseen by Sam Smith, who also has his own label (reviewed here as well). Smith cut his Central Coast winemaking teeth by working as assistant winemaker at Margerum, down in Santa Barbara County. Recent vintages, especially these 2018s, have signaled a shift to a more elegant style here, but the wines are in no way demure when it comes to perfume and depth of flavor. All of the fruit for the Pinot Noirs is sourced from some of the Santa Lucia Highlands’ top sites and growers, including Morgan’s own Double L Vineyard, and sees, on average, a bit over a third new oak, which shows a little when the wines are first released, but there’s more than enough fruit horsepower in these 2018s to handle it, especially if they are given a few years of age.