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2010 Sanford & Benedict
Pinot Noir

Planted in 1971 by the legendary and pioneering Richard Sanford, this site represents the oldest Pinot Noir plantings in all of Santa Barbara County and is largely synonymous with the creation of the Santa Rita Hills appellation. Tucked into the eastern corner of the Santa Rita Hills with north-facing blocks, this vineyard is planted on hard, silica gravel and well-drained soils. Because of Richard Sanford’s legacy, both as a farmer and a gentleman, within the region and industry we feel honored to be working with the fruit that he first planted. Our sections both come from the oldest blocks (41 year old vines) where the vine trunks are gnarled producing small amounts of beautifully graceful, concentrated and textured fruit. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blocks are both from the Mount Eden selection, widely considered to be some of the first cuttings brought into California.

2010 Santa Barbara County
Chardonnay

The fruit for this bottling comes from our sites in the Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria and Santa Ynez appellations. The average age of the vines is over 25 years and is from specific parcels of Wente selection. The wine is pale gold in the glass with a toasty nose and citrus hints of lime peel. The palate is vibrant with good structure showing plenty of restraint, balance and salinity. The wine’s expressive aromatics and generous texture are balanced by a lively acidity and great uplift in the finish. This is a nice entry-­‐level offering and is a great introduction to the style of our wines.

SOLD OUT

2010 Bien Nacido
Chardonnay

We feel privileged to have access to this excellent and historic site in the Santa Maria Valley. Our section, Block W, was planted in 1973 and is self-rooted Wente selection on alluvial soil, loam and river silt and is one of the oldest vineyards in the county. Owned and farmed by the Miller Family, Bien Nacido (meaning “good birth” in Spanish) has long supplied fruit to some of the best producers in California. This bottling yields core citrus aromas of lemon and kumquat, gingerbread spice and a charming rusticity. The wine is juicy with a beautiful presence and will offer up several years of good drinking.

2010 Santa Rita Hills
Pinot Noir

This wine showcases all the exuberance of Santa Rita Hills and is a great entry level Pinot Noir. It is a blend of our vineyard holdings in the Santa Rita Hills with over half the fruit from 40 year-old vines at the Sanford & Benedict vineyard with the rest coming from our sections and younger vines at Rita’s Crown and Bent Rock. It has bright, shiny, crunchy black raspberry fruit with great aromatic lift of fruit, flowers and cola spice. The wine is delicious now and will age gracefully for another 5-7 years.

SOLD OUT

2010 Bien Nacido
Pinot Noir

We feel fortunate to have an opportunity to work with the fruit from this historic vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. Our fruit comes from Block 1, one of the original 1973 plantings, and is composed of selections from Mount Eden and Pommard. This wine has a broad, enticing nose dominated by dark cherry and cola. It is sweet on the attack with a juicy, structured, umami like backbone. There is ample richness and complexity to also handle a wider array of cuisine.

2009 Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay

Planted in 1971, Sanford & Benedict is the oldest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyard in Santa Barbara County, and one of the most iconic vineyards in California.

Its north-facing location at the epicenter of the Santa Rita Hills appellation allows the grapes to ripen perfectly in the cool and foggy weather. The marine-based soil (clay and diatomaceous) delivers smaller yields and cluster.

Sandhi Wine’s grapes come from blocks that are own-rooted. Due to the vine age and own-root system, our wines have an added intensity and complexity.

2009 Evening-Land Tempest Pinot Noir