Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is such a wonderfully complete wine that expresses all of the pedigree of this historic Sta. Rita Hills site. Sweet, perfumed aromatics and radiant fruit envelop the senses. Lemon confit, marzipan and white flowers are some of the many aromas and flavors that open in the glass. The S&B is the most forthcoming of the Sandhi Chardonnays. I loved it.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict, sourced from the old, ungrafted vines, has pretty notes of pears, white blossoms, hazelnut and stone, with a silky, expansive palate that offers up an array of citrus, flowers, flint and nutty tones. It's tangy, salty and super bright and finishes long and uplifted. Lovely! Give it another 2-3 years in bottle unless you love that bright, youthful character.
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Wine & Spirits
At once austere and tender, this complex wine shows an array of aromas and flavors that weave in and out with air and time. At first go, it’s lean and green, legumes and white tea; then it develops lees and nutty sweet-corn accents after a day, and succulent apple the day after that, with a smoky salinity that would pair beautifully with smoked chicken and mushrooms.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
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.