Winemaker Notes
Tyler has the great fortune of working with the oldest vines in the Santa Rita Hills. Planted to a selection of cuttings from the famed Mt. Eden vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this parcel sits just below our block of chardonnay in very well-drained but deep chert/shale soils above chalk.This 45+ year old parcel planted by Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict routinely produce the most complex, pure and ethereal pinot noir in our range. It is a wine of total grace and elegance.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Old Vines has a pale ruby-purple color and layered aromas of wild berries, dried citrus, flowers, cured meats and dark spice. The medium-bodied palate has intense, layered, brambly fruit in a seamless, superfine frame, and it finishes very long and detailed. The personality and texture of this cuvée from the 1970-era vines in the Sanford & Benedict vineyard really take this to the next level.
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.