Upon revisiting the 2016 Liquid Farm La Hermana nearly three years after my initial tasting, the wine has revealed a remarkable transformation. Initially perceived as youthful and somewhat closed, even after several hours of airing, it has now matured into a beautifully balanced and expressive wine. The nose has developed significantly, where the primary aromas of apricot, pineapple, and yellow fruits have evolved into a more complex bouquet, with the emergence of secondary aromas such as paraffin and steel wool adding depth and intrigue. On the palate, the wine maintains a persistent medium plus acidity. It unfolds with flavors of yellow apples, yellow pears, and a distinct mineral undertone. This complexity is further enhanced by an improved balance where the salinity and fruit flavors intertwine seamlessly. Medium-plus length leaves a lasting impression. Today’s bottle confirms that the wine was indeed in a closed phase during the last tasting and is now drinking beautifully, with potential for further aging. This evolution is a testament to the inherent quality and aging capability of the Liquid Farm La Hermana. You can open this wine now for its current expression of balance and complexity, and for those with additional bottles, it would be worthwhile to continue aging, I think that it will only get better from here.
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Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of paraffin, yellow apples and steel wool. Flavors of yellow apples, yellow pears and minerals. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Really coming together, open nose of citrus with some minerality, medium weight similar flavors with great concentration and balance which carries through to the medium plus finish. Very French style for a Cali chard. Lovely.
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Unripe pineapple and green apple acidity add complexity to this minerally Chablis lookalike. Crisp and zippy, yet just enough fruit to flesh out the crystalline structure, this asks for oysters or a seafood platter. We served with white asparagus, maitake mushroom aioli, and smoked sturgeon. Perfect.
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No formal tasting note on this except to say that I really think that the La Hermana greatly benefits from a good amount of aging. This felt way too young to me and actually felt quite closed even after a few hours of air. I would hold onto these and revisit in a couple of years. La Hermana is probably one of my favorite LF wines...but it's in an awkward place right now.
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Wonderful freshness, yellow apple, lemon, and mineral/sea air. A beautiful food wine with perfect acidity on the finish. Easy to love and briskly consume. A lovely domestic Chardonnay!
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Apple and tropical fruits along with some reduced mineral notes. Bright and energetic with a long finish. More full and up front than any LF I can remember.
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Medium yellow. Delightful crispness - lemon, whiff of pineapple, hint of lime, just a touch of honey-butter richness. Absence of oak makes enjoyable to drink.
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This was one of the best chardonnays for the money. You don't usually get both fruit and mineral exactly balanced, it's either on the sweeter side or the earthy side. But with this wine, I was able to get both at a very beautiful place.
Smooth minerally at the front palate, and honey, citrus, beautiful tropical component towards the finish. Just really well made, very impressed.
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This is a new producer for me, but I've had several different bottlings (of varying age) over recent months and these are nothing but stunning.
The nose of the 2016 La Hermana opens with a bit of reduction. Flint and matchstick dominate. Were I to restrain even for a little while, this would blow off (and certainly by day #2). But the oily texture, mouth watering acidity, and purity of chardonnay flavors just demand that you empty the glass. Another taster felt like there were lots of tropical notes (coconut, pineapple) and I guess that's fair to say, but for me the lemon oil and ripe green apple notes were more dominant. It's got complexity, body, character, and age-ability. What more could one ask for?
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Aromatic has a fair amount of toast. The core of the wine drank terrific, with nectarine, yellow apple and river rock/mineral finish. It also reflects to me a more medium weight and it's built well. This bottle impressed me.....as a short follow-up, we had a little left over from last night so I poured out a small glass this afternoon. This is lovely stuff, showing some richness and a little more filled in, but also adding some green apple and anise to the core of the wine, too.
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Popped and poured and pretty much singing right away. French oak evident on the nose but the palate is mostly lime-spritzed apple. Lively acidity keeps it interesting. Might be malo here but this is definitely not a “butter popcorn” type chard. I continue to be impressed by Liquid Farm’s Chardonnays. 92+.
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This is a lively and energetic Chardonnay with great acidity and underlying mineral notes that provide depth and complexity. It is approachable but did benefit from time in the glass. As an anomaly, we drank over two days and the second day was even better as it calmed a bit and rounded out even more. Certainly a great value for what you find in the bottle here.
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Opened at home and paired with a smoked pork loin. Beautiful yellow gold color with citrus, floral and a hint of oak on the nose. Similar palate with a nice mineral driven finish. This is actually the first La Hermana that I've opened and I enjoyed it immensely.
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Still very lively on the palate. Brisk acidity that carries from beginning to finish. Citrus elements with minerals present as well. Uplifting and begging for your attention. Pairs nicely with food as a good counterbalance.
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Light yellow. Bright, and light handed. Some lemon, tangerine notes. Crisp minerality and light oak on finish. Not terribly complex- but a joy to drink- really nice California Chardonnay!
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Santa Barbara (Summer 2018): Gorgeous nose with guava and other tropical fruit. On the palate, loads of acidity and a touch rounder than the previous wines. Good pithy notes; minerality; great acidity and a clean finish.
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Very lively and acidic with high toned citrus flavors. Bright flavors and racy in nature. Not fruit driven, like riding a frisky colt. Mineral elements. A bit clipped on the finish.
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1/31/2024 - Sanfoan Likes this wine:
Upon revisiting the 2016 Liquid Farm La Hermana nearly three years after my initial tasting, the wine has revealed a remarkable transformation. Initially perceived as youthful and somewhat closed, even after several hours of airing, it has now matured into a beautifully balanced and expressive wine. The nose has developed significantly, where the primary aromas of apricot, pineapple, and yellow fruits have evolved into a more complex bouquet, with the emergence of secondary aromas such as paraffin and steel wool adding depth and intrigue. On the palate, the wine maintains a persistent medium plus acidity. It unfolds with flavors of yellow apples, yellow pears, and a distinct mineral undertone. This complexity is further enhanced by an improved balance where the salinity and fruit flavors intertwine seamlessly. Medium-plus length leaves a lasting impression. Today’s bottle confirms that the wine was indeed in a closed phase during the last tasting and is now drinking beautifully, with potential for further aging. This evolution is a testament to the inherent quality and aging capability of the Liquid Farm La Hermana. You can open this wine now for its current expression of balance and complexity, and for those with additional bottles, it would be worthwhile to continue aging, I think that it will only get better from here.
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12/30/2022 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good acidity, nice yellow fruit, no flab or sweetness - very tasty and drinking well.
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9/19/2022 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of paraffin, yellow apples and steel wool. Flavors of yellow apples, yellow pears and minerals. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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8/1/2022 - ginfizz wrote: 93 Points
Really coming together, open nose of citrus with some minerality, medium weight similar flavors with great concentration and balance which carries through to the medium plus finish. Very French style for a Cali chard. Lovely.
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5/3/2022 - ginfizz wrote: 91 Points
Unripe pineapple and green apple acidity add complexity to this minerally Chablis lookalike. Crisp and zippy, yet just enough fruit to flesh out the crystalline structure, this asks for oysters or a seafood platter. We served with white asparagus, maitake mushroom aioli, and smoked sturgeon. Perfect.
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3/12/2021 - Sanfoan Likes this wine:
No formal tasting note on this except to say that I really think that the La Hermana greatly benefits from a good amount of aging. This felt way too young to me and actually felt quite closed even after a few hours of air. I would hold onto these and revisit in a couple of years. La Hermana is probably one of my favorite LF wines...but it's in an awkward place right now.
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1/21/2021 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful freshness, yellow apple, lemon, and mineral/sea air. A beautiful food wine with perfect acidity on the finish. Easy to love and briskly consume. A lovely domestic Chardonnay!
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1/11/2021 - gmbdds wrote: 92 Points
Apple and tropical fruits along with some reduced mineral notes. Bright and energetic with a long finish. More full and up front than any LF I can remember.
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7/22/2020 - rtewh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantiastic. Very bright.
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6/10/2020 - Andrew H wrote: 90 Points
Medium yellow. Delightful crispness - lemon, whiff of pineapple, hint of lime, just a touch of honey-butter richness. Absence of oak makes enjoyable to drink.
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6/6/2020 - Turboj911 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was one of the best chardonnays for the money. You don't usually get both fruit and mineral exactly balanced, it's either on the sweeter side or the earthy side. But with this wine, I was able to get both at a very beautiful place.
Smooth minerally at the front palate, and honey, citrus, beautiful tropical component towards the finish. Just really well made, very impressed.
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2/10/2020 - Acohen Likes this wine: 90 Points
lots of lemon with pear and some tart apple
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2/9/2020 - cweiner Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good QPR
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12/7/2019 - cweiner Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better, but
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11/21/2019 - cweiner wrote: 89 Points
Not my cup of tea, which is part of the nose.
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11/16/2019 - Acohen Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lots of lemon, pear and nice balance
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7/27/2019 - jviz Likes this wine: 93 Points
My goodness, Liquid Farm...
This is a new producer for me, but I've had several different bottlings (of varying age) over recent months and these are nothing but stunning.
The nose of the 2016 La Hermana opens with a bit of reduction. Flint and matchstick dominate. Were I to restrain even for a little while, this would blow off (and certainly by day #2). But the oily texture, mouth watering acidity, and purity of chardonnay flavors just demand that you empty the glass. Another taster felt like there were lots of tropical notes (coconut, pineapple) and I guess that's fair to say, but for me the lemon oil and ripe green apple notes were more dominant. It's got complexity, body, character, and age-ability. What more could one ask for?
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4/28/2019 - brigcampbell wrote:
This showed very well. A smoky flint aroma combined with beautiful fruit makes for a wine drinking very well right out of the shoot.
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4/28/2019 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Aromatic has a fair amount of toast. The core of the wine drank terrific, with nectarine, yellow apple and river rock/mineral finish. It also reflects to me a more medium weight and it's built well. This bottle impressed me.....as a short follow-up, we had a little left over from last night so I poured out a small glass this afternoon. This is lovely stuff, showing some richness and a little more filled in, but also adding some green apple and anise to the core of the wine, too.
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4/13/2019 - jmull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured and pretty much singing right away. French oak evident on the nose but the palate is mostly lime-spritzed apple. Lively acidity keeps it interesting. Might be malo here but this is definitely not a “butter popcorn” type chard. I continue to be impressed by Liquid Farm’s Chardonnays. 92+.
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1/13/2019 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a lively and energetic Chardonnay with great acidity and underlying mineral notes that provide depth and complexity. It is approachable but did benefit from time in the glass. As an anomaly, we drank over two days and the second day was even better as it calmed a bit and rounded out even more. Certainly a great value for what you find in the bottle here.
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12/2/2018 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Opened at home and paired with a smoked pork loin. Beautiful yellow gold color with citrus, floral and a hint of oak on the nose. Similar palate with a nice mineral driven finish. This is actually the first La Hermana that I've opened and I enjoyed it immensely.
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9/12/2018 - Acohen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Crisp with lime, apple and citrus notes and great with the tuna crudo
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7/21/2018 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still very lively on the palate. Brisk acidity that carries from beginning to finish. Citrus elements with minerals present as well. Uplifting and begging for your attention. Pairs nicely with food as a good counterbalance.
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6/24/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Light yellow. Bright, and light handed. Some lemon, tangerine notes. Crisp minerality and light oak on finish. Not terribly complex- but a joy to drink- really nice California Chardonnay!
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6/14/2018 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Santa Barbara (Summer 2018): Gorgeous nose with guava and other tropical fruit. On the palate, loads of acidity and a touch rounder than the previous wines. Good pithy notes; minerality; great acidity and a clean finish.
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3/31/2018 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very lively and acidic with high toned citrus flavors. Bright flavors and racy in nature. Not fruit driven, like riding a frisky colt. Mineral elements. A bit clipped on the finish.
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2/19/2018 - Redrunners Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice bottle - bright and crisp flavors with citrus, tropical fruit and slight almond.
This was very early to drink - but was very enjoyable and already well integrated.
91 - 92 points
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11/1/2017 - trucrime wrote:
From the mailer - With a nod to the deep Spanish roots of the town of Santa Maria, we are excited to introduce to you, 'La Hermana'
The first sister to our Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnays, hailing from the Sisterly, neighboring AVA of Santa Maria
AGING: 100% Neutral Barrel Fermentation & Aging.
PROFILE: Fresh linen, zesty minerality, marzipan, refreshing herbs & flowers, taut, polished.
FOOD PAIRING: Halibut or scallop crudo or perhaps some pasta alla vongole.
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