Sanford Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

Supple, serious and wonderfully fresh with bright aromas of fresh cherry, wild strawberry and spice cake complemented by white pepper and rose. 

Producer Note

Sanford Winery is a renowned pioneer of cool-climate wine from the Santa Rita Hills, north of Santa Barbera. The legendary Sanford & Benedict vineyard was planted in 1971 by Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict, and from the very first vintages they produced highly acclaimed wines of great complexity. In 1980, the team of Michael Benedict and Richard Sanford would go their separate ways. Richard Sanford continued to make the wines, and subsequently planted the La Rinconada vineyard adjacent to the original vineyard. In 2002, the Terlato family became partners, by 2007 they bought the entire vineyard and have been making exceptional wines from these two sustainably cultivated Cru vineyards ever since. This is a stunning Californian estate. 

Vineyard

The grapes come exclusively from the two estate vineyards in the cool-climate area of Sta. Rita Hills AVA: the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard and the La Rinconada Vineyard. The unusual east-west orientation of the nearby Santa Ynez Mountains allows the cooling maritime breezes from the Pacific Ocean - just seven miles away- to flow over the vineyards, bringing with them cooling morning fog. Afternoon breezes dry out any residual moisture and reduce disease pressure. Temperatures rarely exceed 27°C, which suits the delicate Pinot Noir vines. The vineyard is split into 52 blocks and each block has an individual soil composition. Broadly, the marine based soil in the ‘Sanford & Benedict Vineyard’ is a mixture of clay, loam, fractured shale and chert (a rocky soil), which forces the vine’s roots to dig deep for nutrients and hydration. The result is naturally low yields of small-berried, concentrated fruit delivering excellent minerality and acidity. The ‘La Rinconada Vineyard’ is made up of sandy, gravelly soil which imparts precise minerality to the wine. There are 33 different Pinot Noir clones planted across the vineyard and 40% of the vines are from the original 1972 un-grafted plantings. 

Winemaking

A blend of vineyards: 44% from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard and 56% from La Rinconada. Each block was vinified separately, to reflect the personality of the vineyard. The wine went through 100% malolactic conversion and was matured for 11 months in French oak, of which 25% was new.

Tasting Note

Bright aromas of fresh cherry, wild strawberry and spice cake are complemented by white pepper and rose. Supple, serious and wonderfully fresh on the palate with beautiful length on the finish.

Grape

Pinot Noir 100%