Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted rack of lamb
✨ Technical Specifications
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.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1982 by visionary vintner Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat stands as one of California's most influential pioneers of cool-climate, Burgundian-style winemaking. Situated on the benchlands of the Santa Maria Valley and sourcing from iconic vineyards such as Bien Nacido, Sanford & Benedict, and the estate Le Bon Climat, the estate thrives within transverse valleys channeled by cold maritime airflow off the Pacific Ocean. Viticulture emphasizes sustainability, with key estate holdings certified organic. In the cellar, the late Clendenen's philosophy lives on through longtime winemaker Jim Adelman alongside Jim's children, Isabelle and Knox Clendenen. Vinification champions classical European restraint: whole-cluster pressing, native and selected yeast fermentations in François Frères French oak barrels, full lees contact, and unhurried elevage without excessive new wood or heavy extraction. Celebrated benchmark whites include the single-vineyard Bien Nacido K Block, Sanford & Benedict, and the flagship Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches Au Bouge, each exemplifying bright minerality, seamless acid architecture, and remarkable cellar longevity.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Noir
🍷 ABV
13.5%