Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin/Miramar Beach
Visiting The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental, we dined at Captain Dave’s, a favorite, a local institution, and a short walk down the beach from our house.
Captain Dave’s On The Gulf is the oldest seafood restaurant in Destin, family owned and operated since 1968. It offers beach front views from the spacious high ceiling dining room overlooking the gulf.
Before dinner we sat on the deck overlooking the beach to watch the sunset with a Captain Dave’s Rum Punch.
Tonight was a replay of a previous visit to this restaurant from last fall, when we even ordered the same entrees as tonight - Nickel & Nickle Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin.
We each ordered our favorite entrees - Linda the Coconut crusted shrimp ….
… I ordered the Captain Daves signature Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi.
We took BYOB this Chardonnay from Sta Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County that we just picked up at Wine World in Destin. It proved to be a huge QPR - Quality Price Ratio value for easy sipping Chardonnay. We liked it so much, we went back and picked up a couple more bottles.
Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2023
Winemaker Greg Brewer founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 to produce wines that reflect the geographic, geologic and climatic uniqueness of California’s Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County.
Sant Rita Hills have one of the coolest climates on the west coast, Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, with a long growing season, making is ideal for pinot noir and chardonnay. The unique topology where the valleys run perpendicular to the coast funnels the maritime influences through a small appellation filled with variations in soil, aspect and micro-climates to produce sites of character and distinction.
They also produce Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay which we have enjoyed in the recent past, another high QPR easy sipping Chardonnay. We wrote about it in these pages in this blogpost - Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023.
We visited the Brewer Clifton tasting room in the town of Los Olivos during our Santa Barbara Country wine experience back in 2023.
Jeb Dunnuck gives their Sta Rita Hills estate Chardonnay 95 points and writes, “I've written many times, this appellation release can stand toe to toe with any Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County.” That release was rated 94 points by James Suckling and 93 points by Wine Spectator.
This was pale golden straw colored, medium-bodied, crisp, clean and pure with bright vibrant, intense Meyer Lemon citrus, accented by notes of pear and hint of green apple fruits, with tangy acidity, and expressive mineral on and a great lingering finish. So bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine.
It was so bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. It was great with our seafood entrees.
This release was aged nine months in 100% neutral oak barrels but any sense of oakiness is muted.
RM 92 points.
