Producer: Sanford Winery
Region: Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Year: 2015

Retail Price: $54.00
Our Price: $21.99

Tasting Note: "Balanced spice and cedar notes with nice acidity and brilliant red fruits. Pair with Salmon or a turkey BLT." - Schaefer's

About the Winery: "In 1971 Sanford Winery and Vineyards discovered an overlooked, grape-growing treasure in the Sta. Rita Hills. Recognizing a magical combination of climate and soil conditions much like those in France’s famed Burgundy province, Sanford planted the area’s first Pinot Noir in its Sanford & Benedict vineyard.

Pinot Noir has thrived in the Sta. Rita Hills ever since, and so has Sanford Winery. The pioneering winery’s Pinot Noir ranks among the best and most distinctive in the world. And Sanford’s leadership helped put Santa Barbara and the Sta. Rita Hills on the map of the world’s great wine regions. Certified as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2001, today the area is renowned for its Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir.

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is 100 square miles of heaven for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Sanford’s estate vineyards – Rancho La Rinconada and Sanford & Benedict – lie within it. Sanford relies exclusively on these vineyards for its luscious, signature Pinots.

The area owes its magic to an unusual east-west mountain valley that runs from the vineyards to the Pacific Ocean. This passage allows a meteorological ebb-and-flow between the mountains and the sea that is ideal for cool-climate varietals.

Each summer morning, a heavy Pacific fog moves eastward through the valley, holding morning temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. By mid-morning, heat from the mountains pushes the marine layer back out to sea, warming the valley into the 70's and 80's.

In the early afternoon, the balance tips again, and a cooling breeze blows inland from the Pacific. By sunset, temperatures cool to the 60's. Low summer rainfall and rare frosts yield a cool growing season that lasts 30 - 45 days longer than most other California grape-growing regions. And Santa Rita’s soils are light and well draining." - Terlato Wines Int'l

*Price and availability in store may vary.