Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted rack of lamb
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, planted in 1971 by pioneers Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict, is the historic birthplace of premium Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills. Featuring some of the oldest own-rooted Pinot Noir vines in the region, this vineyard is defined by its fractured shale and diatomaceous soils, constantly cooled by maritime winds from the nearby Pacific Ocean. Winemaker Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat began sourcing from this legendary site in the early 1980s, creating a single-vineyard bottling that serves as a masterclass in restraint and terroir expression. Crafted using traditional Burgundian methods, including open-top fermenters and aging in classic Francois Frères French oak barrels, this wine is renowned for its bright acidity, savory herbal undertones, and structured red fruit profile, representing a historic bridge between Old World elegance and New World terroir.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1982 by the legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat is a pioneering estate located in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. Situated on the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery is internationally acclaimed for its unwavering commitment to crafting Burgundian-style wines of balance, restraint, and longevity. Utilizing traditional French winemaking techniques, including open-top fermenters, manual punch-downs, and aging in classic Francois Frères French oak barrels, Au Bon Climat produces highly expressive, food-friendly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their signature expressions, such as the Knox Alexander Pinot Noir and Nuits-Blanches au Bouge Chardonnay, showcase the unique, cool-climate terroir of California's Central Coast.