Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From what is undeniably one of the Grand Cru sites of the appellation, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard displays a translucent ruby hue and opens with Burgundian aromatics of black raspberries, earthy black cherries, spring flowers, and peppery, cedary spice. Fermented with 60% whole clusters and aged 19 months in 30% new French oak, it’s medium-bodied, seamless, and layered on the palate, with terrific depth, fine tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. Of the trio, it has the most mid-palate richness and density, and it will drink beautifully any time over the coming two decades. Drink 2025-2045.
Rating: 95+ -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard opens with the textbook understatement of this site, slowly building to a spice- and citrus-driven bouquet with a red-fruited core. The palate is suave and silky and polished, seamlessly releasing into a long, persistent finish defined by perfumed fruit, refreshing acidity and a compact, creamy core.
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Wine Spectator
Offers an alluring profile of smoldering black tea and gently mulled cherry and raspberry fruit, plus a flash of dried blood orange, all backed by the gently toasted finish, which lets a savory edge play out. Drink now through 2031.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.