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
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Beautifully showcasing the reserved and regal qualities of the vineyard, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict is derived from the vineyard's original 1971 plantings. It slowly unfurls with aromas of red and black cherries, orange peel, bergamot and white pepper, beginning with a whisper and continuously escalating in volume and dimension. The palate is rich and velvety, melding a sumptuous, savory core with vibrant, pure framing of acidity. It concludes with a measured, perfectly balanced finish that lingers with citrus notes, salinity and retronasal perfume.
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Vinous
Sourced from the own-rooted blocks planted in 1971, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is vividly expressive and elegant. Light in color but surprisingly focused and concentrated, it offers clear, velvety fruit layered with lavender, spice and blood orange tones that unfurl gracefully across the palate. The 2023 speaks softly but has a lot to say.
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.