Winemaker Notes
Tasting a new vintage of Sanford & Benedict is always a treat, and this bottling keeps the tradition alive. With its classic dark cherry-colored core and light edges, the 2022 is a swirling paisley of Maraschino, green peppercorn, snapped thyme and Branston chutney; plenty juicy and lifted but sly in savory spice that perforates the fruity initial sip. The famous minerality of this site comes next, winding up a finish that suggests a long life ahead. Most importantly, though, the wine is delightful today.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fermented 100% whole cluster, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict is pure and red-fruited on the nose, tying in savory additions of forest floor and citrus rind aromas with time. The palate is slender and vibrant, leading to a bright, cleansing finish driven by elegant saline power. This is a beautiful expression of a historic site in a challenging vintage.
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Wine Spectator
An expressive red, with blood orange, cherry pit and rooibos tea notes backed by a vibrant savory edge. Light-bodied but shows minerally persistence and underlying tension through the finish. Drink now through 2027. 136 cases made.
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.