When the great Hanzell Vineyards set out some twenty years ago to produce a second wine, they wanted to make sure it wasn’t perceived by the winery’s many fans as simply a lesser version of their long-aging Estate Chardonnay, a California icon since 1961. They, instead, created its stylistic inverse- a wine built for finesse and verve rather than power and longevity. That wine, called Sebella, is now made entire from the property’s younger vines (10-30 years old) rather than from the purchased grapes of yore, so, since the 2020 vintage, it carries the Moon Mountain appellation rather than Sonoma Valley. It’s fermented in tank (as opposed to barrel) and aged in neutral wood with its malo-lactic fermentation blocked to help maintain the fine natural acidity endowed the wine from these mountainside vineyards. This creates a Chardonnay long on gorgeous, pure fruit but with a very lively finish and, after only a short time in the cellar, remarkably layered flavors. We’ve been real fans of the wine for many years, both for its distinctive style and relative value. When we first tasted the 2022, I remarked that its lemon verbena and orange peel aromatics and crushed rock-like minerality could readily pass for a California version of a Premier Cru Chablis. When it warmed up, though, its actual palate weight and rich mouthfeel became more apparent. It’s really a lot of Chardonnay for the money and very gracefully carries its 13.9% alcohol. I bet it will cellar nearly as well as its legendary big brother too.

James Suckling, 95 points: Mineral- and citrus-driven nose with fresh aromas of lime pith, orange blossoms and grapefruit rind. The palate is medium-bodied with high-tension acidity, showing notes of mandarins, jasmine and salt brine. 100% barrel elevage in old oak with no malolactic fermentation for six months after stainless steel fermentation. Drink or hold. 

Wine Spectator, 92 points: Elegant, seamless and distinctive, with an aromatic air of nutmeg and cardamom adding aromatic punch to the core of smooth, juicy and fresh citrus and apple flavors. Reveals a lingering hint of salted caramel.