94pts Jeb Dunnuck

Made by Greg Brewer and already bottled, the 2023 Chardonnay comes from the Mission Mills Vineyard just outside of Los Alamos. Its vivid medium gold hue is followed by a vibrant nose of salted citrus, tangerine, exotic flowers, and subtle spice. Medium-bodied, pure, rounded, and beautifully balanced, it has plenty of power and density, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This impeccably made Chardonnay should be snatched up by readers, as it competes with wines at two to three times the price.

94pts Vinous

The 2023 Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County) is a total stunner. Bright, aromatic and vibrant, the 2023 is lights-out, brilliantly marrying fruit intensity and energy. Apricot, mint and white flowers abound. This is a stunning wine for the price and for its production of around 40,000 cases. All of this fruit is from Mission Hills in Los Alamos.

93pts Wine Spectator

This stunning wine leaps out of the glass, with concentrated flavors and aromas of white peach, quince and pineapple, plus floral accents of orange blossoms and lemon curd. Finishes with mouthwatering acidity, a note of crunchy sea salt minerality and a whiff of lemon verbena. Drink now. 23,000 cases made.

Winemaking Notes

The diatom Santa Barbara Chardonnay offers aromas of lemon, citrus blossom and wet sand with flavors of saline and white peach on the palate. A precise, balanced wine.

About the Winery

Diatom specializes in only one variety—Chardonnay— and is motivated by the pursuit of subtraction and refinement. Fermented at low temperatures in small stainless-steel tanks, coupled with inhibited malolactic fermentation and short hose transportation, diatom intends to capture Chardonnay in its most raw, carnal state. Winemaker Greg Brewer strives to imbue recognition of place with as little disturbance, distraction or interference as possible. The resulting wines have a sense of transparency and a purity of intent and purpose.