ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - " I consider the Tyler Chardonnays among the best in the region, strongly bearing the influence of Jean-Marc Roulot and Dominique Lafon through a finely tuned noble reduction and crystalline nature, while also referencing Vincent Dauvissat through fermentation in tank followed by maturation in barrel for the regional wines. After gently crushing a portion of berries, the fruit is whole-cluster pressed, allowing the juice to oxidize and settle overnight while retaining as many fine solids as possible. Fermentation occurs via native yeasts and undergoes full malolactic conversion before 10–11 months of élevage in 15% to 25% new wood from François Frères and Damy. The wines do not undergo bâtonnage, and Willett's preference is for 228-liter barrels due to their cooler fermentation temperatures, a change from the earlier use of 500-liter barrels. Maturation is completed after six to nine months in stainless steel tanks, followed by light filtration before bottling."
"Always a centerpiece of the Tyler range, the 2023 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is distinguished by an additional layer of high-resolution clarity in this vintage, elevating what is routinely one of the region's finest Chardonnay expressions. It combines a sumptuous, textural power with an equal measure of incredibly focused, mineral-driven energy throughout. Radiant, pure, herbal and honeyed on the nose, the palate exudes a broad, powerful muscularity that glides smoothly into a seamless, measured and mouthwatering finish that lingers with chalky grip."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 96 POINTS - "Justin Willett has his hat in many rings, but the Tyler project is his heart and soul. Centered around Willett’s MAE Estate Vineyard and the Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills—as well as some bottlings from other top sites in the region—the Tyler wines are polished, precise and classically Santa Barbara in every way."
"The 2023 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is an alluring, incredibly textural wine, with a generous, ample personality and impressive delineation of flavors. Mint, toasted spices, yellow apple, chamomile and chalk embrace a sumptuous, creamy mid-palate, leading to a finish of great precision. This is a beautifully balanced white with tons of suaveness and a clear mineral accent. "
"Always a centerpiece of the Tyler range, the 2023 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is distinguished by an additional layer of high-resolution clarity in this vintage, elevating what is routinely one of the region's finest Chardonnay expressions. It combines a sumptuous, textural power with an equal measure of incredibly focused, mineral-driven energy throughout. Radiant, pure, herbal and honeyed on the nose, the palate exudes a broad, powerful muscularity that glides smoothly into a seamless, measured and mouthwatering finish that lingers with chalky grip."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 96 POINTS - "Justin Willett has his hat in many rings, but the Tyler project is his heart and soul. Centered around Willett’s MAE Estate Vineyard and the Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills—as well as some bottlings from other top sites in the region—the Tyler wines are polished, precise and classically Santa Barbara in every way."
"The 2023 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is an alluring, incredibly textural wine, with a generous, ample personality and impressive delineation of flavors. Mint, toasted spices, yellow apple, chamomile and chalk embrace a sumptuous, creamy mid-palate, leading to a finish of great precision. This is a beautifully balanced white with tons of suaveness and a clear mineral accent. "
