Coming from pure sand soils, the 2011 Chardonnay Gnesa is a pretty, mineral-driven Chardonnay that has notions of orchard and tropical fruits that veer toward the citrus end of the spectrum with air. Medium-bodied, beautifully rich, with clean, classy acidity providing edge and definition, it, too, should benefit from another 6-12 months of bottle age and have a solid evolution for a number of years. Drink 2014-2018+. A benchmark estate in the Santa Rita Hills, these first rate efforts are made by Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer. The wines are all handled identically in the cellar, so what you get is exactly what the vineyard delivers. In addition, this estate is moving to only estate-farmed vineyards, with Gnesa, Machado, 3-D and Hapgood being the only single-vineyard releases going forward. These 2011s are fantastic and should not be missed! Tel. (805) 735-9184; www.brewerclifton.com