Winemaker Notes
Aromatically this wine is red fruit-driven, with spiced cherries and rhubarb. On the palate, this wine follows those red fruit flavors, as well as notes of ginger root, strawberries, and a youthful kick of acidity.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict was vinified with 75% whole clusters and matured in 100% new French oak. It has complex aromatics defined by botanical undertones that complement pomegranate and raspberry fruit, plus nuances of woodsmoke, tobacco and mushrooms. The medium-bodied palate has concentrated, layered fruit, earth and spice flavors framed by chalky tannins and juicy acidity, and it has a long, detailed finish.Rating: 94+
-
Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is another ethereal wine in this range. The lighter style of the year means, among other things, that the stems (50%+) are especially evident, although the high percentage of new oak is less evident. Sweet dried cherry, mint, dried herbs, cedar and tobacco all open. Readers will find a Pinot that emphasizes savory and earthy notes more than forward fruit.
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.