Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2029
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted pork tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is hallowed ground in California wine history. Planted in 1971 by pioneers Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict, this iconic site in the Sta. Rita Hills proved to the world that world-class Pinot Noir could thrive in the cool, wind-swept valleys of Santa Barbara County. Dominion Tantara pays homage to this legendary terroir by employing traditional, low-intervention winemaking techniques. Sourced from the vineyard's historic soils of clay loam mixed with fractured chert, the wine undergoes fermentation with native yeasts and is aged in select French oak barrels. The result is a Pinot Noir of exceptional pedigree, showcasing a beautiful tension between bright red berry fruit, savory dried herbs, and a distinct, stony minerality that is the hallmark of this historic site.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1997 by Virginia natives Bill Cates and Jeff Fink, Dominion Tantara (originally founded as Tantara Winery) was born from a mutual passion for cool-climate Burgundian varieties. Operating out of the historic Rancho Tepusquet within Santa Maria Valley's celebrated Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery sources fruit from elite Central Coast terroirs, including Dierberg, Talley Rincon, Zotovich, and old-vine blocks of Bien Nacido. Benefiting from east-west transverse maritime corridors that funnel morning fog and cool Pacific winds across benchland sandy-loam soils, the estate emphasizes long hang-times with natural acidity preservation. Viticultural practices focus on sustainable management with meticulous canopy care. Cellar vinification embraces low-intervention Burgundian traditions: selective whole-cluster fermentations, native yeasts, and aging in fine-grained French oak barriques. Benchmark bottlings include single-vineyard expressions such as Bien Nacido Vineyard O Block Chardonnay, Zotovich Vineyard Chardonnay, and Dierberg Vineyard Pinot Noir, prized for their tension, crystalline minerality, and savory aromatic depth.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Noir