Lightpost Winery, San Luis Obispo County (Central Coast, California) Chardonnay 2021

 This is a Chardonnay crafted near California’s current stylistic midpoint, yet that is not the same as regarding it as “average.”  It is much, much better than average, showing real richness and depth of flavor, but without any extraneous ripeness nor more overt wood than is needed to lend complexity.  And complex it is, with appealing notes of baking spices, light toast, and roasted nuts.  The fruit notes recall baked apples and peaches, with such balanced and integrated acidity that the acid component comes off more as a dimension of the fruit itself than as a distinct element.  In a word, brilliant.