To surmise the potential of a young vineyard site and then, vintage after vintage, confirm those suspicions is as gratifying an experience a winemaker can have. The 2015 Bentrock Chardonnay greets you with an exotic, lifted and focused nose, brimming with raw ginger, crushed rock, and smoke. As we’ve all come to expect, the palate is tightly wound in its youth, focused, and direct with loads of acidity. This is the bottle to cellar for quite some time.

We are always surprised that such young vines produce such an intense and thought-provoking Chardonnay. The warmth of the 2014 vintage gives this incarnation of Bentrock just the slightest bit of flesh on its persistent finish.

As part of the “Four Corners” of the appellation, this north-facing block is at an elevation of 250 to 500 feet and is blasted daily by cold ocean winds. From the upper reaches of Bentrock, one can see the other Sandhi vineyard sites to the east. While only a nine year-old vineyard, Bentrock shows incredible potential, delivering intensely concentrated and sublime fruit. We believe that Bentrock’s unique location, close proximity to the ocean and exposed orientation creates a perfect environment for producing low-yielding grapes of high quality.

From ungrafted vines planted in 1974, this wine is aromatically complex with notes of key lime, pine nuts, bergamot, and mint. The complexity of the old vines is most evident on the palate as its broad, exotic, and persistent texture carry through this full and restrained wine to its finish.

The wine is lively on the palate and its bright red fruits integrate playfully with polished tannins. The finish, augmented by beautiful acidity, is interminable.

The 2014 Mt. Carmel Pinot Noir is richly perfumed with black cherry, strawberry compote, and a hint of sandalwood. Our most structured wine of the vintage, its firm tannins linger, making this the optimal pairing for hearty fare.

Exceptionally bright and vivid, the 2015 Mt. Carmel Chardonnay is a touch restrained from previous vintages. The nose is an alluring combination of kefir lime zest and curry leaf. As with the other bottlings, the palate is ample and pliant with notes of lime custard and a persistent and mineral-driven finish.

This is our second vintage of Mt. Carmel Chardonnay from ungrafted vines planted in 1990 on Diatomaceous soil. This wine shows an abundance of minerality and freshness that is pleasing to the palate with flavors of lime tart and lemongrass. Firm textured with vibrant acidity.

The wine already exhibits an undeniable purity and character. The nose is simultaneously lifted and powerful with dark red fruits, dusty loamy notes, and forest floor all intermingling. The palate is firm and shiny and tightly wound. This bottling will easily age for a decade or more, rewarding those with patience.

The 2014 Rinconada offers a focused nose with savory components at the forefront. Dark fruits, red licorice, and ripe raspberries float along the wine’s lifted aromatics. The wine already demonstrates tremendous concentration through the mid-palate and the trademark savoriness on the nose carries through to a persistent finish.

In 2013, when we bottled this wine I thought to myself, this wine would be better in 5-10 years. We had never seen so much acidity with high ripeness. That is why we decided to hold back a third of the production and release it when it was 6 years old. We believe this wine has a longer ageing potential but it’s good point to start drinking now!

2014 was an excellent vintage for this extreme site. Rita’s Crown is grown on pure Diatomaceous soil. The low nutrients of the site give the wine an added dimension of minerality. Flavors of candied orange, ginger and zippy acidity dominate.

Tart cherry, ripe strawberry, and ripe red plums dominate the nose. The palate offers a whisper of blue fruit and a pliant texture.

We are continuously reminded of the wisdom of old vines every time we bottle another vintage from the 1971 plantings at Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. Slightly less susceptible to vintage variation than our other sites, the 2015 vintage is classic in its ability to join the bright, lifted notes of citrus with warmer, rounder aromas of apple and spice. The palate demonstrates a combination of purity and generosity only achievable through vines of an advanced age.

The wine is aromatically complex with notes of ripe Meyer lemon, oyster shell, almond skin, dried ginger and apricot, and subtle hints of jasmine and fresh mint. The complexity of the old vines is most evident on the palate as its broad, exotic, and persistent texture carry through this full and restrained wine to its finish.

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 Sta. Rita Hills appellation. Tucked into the southeastern corner of the Sta. Rita Hills with north-facing blocks, this vineyard is planted on hard, silica gravel and well-drained soils. Because of Richard Sanford’s legacy within the region both as a farmer and a gentlemen, we feel honored to be working with the fruit that he first planted. Our sections come from the oldest blocks where the vine trunks are gnarled producing small amounts of beautiful, concentrated and textured fruit. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blocks are both from the Mount Eden selection, which is widely considered to be some of the first cuttings brought into California.

The finished wine is a slight pink color, perfectly effervescent, mineral driven with notes of strawberry and white peach fruits. The palate is bright and clean, with plenty of red fruit character and a touch of bright lemon and refreshing acidity.