Sanford Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay is a straw gold color. Enticing aromas of brioche, Meyer lemon, and white flowers intermingle with beeswax and passion fruit. The wine appears soft and generous but develops a lovely saline note that complements the texture and drives the finish. Ripe aromas of melon, salted white peach and light caramel are offset by tense lime-pith scents on the nose of this bottling. It's tense and deeply layered in mineral tones on the palate, where oyster-shell and chalk flavors meet with lemon-pith and toast tones. Producer Information Sanford Winery is a Californian wine producer located in the Sta. Rita Hills region of Santa Barbara County. The estate is divided into two vineyard sites – Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada – and is particularly known for its portfolio of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. The Sanford & Benedict vineyard was first planted to vine in 1971 by Michael Benedict and Richard Sanford, as they tried to create cool climate wines of equal standing to those being produced in Europe at the time. This vineyard is known for having some of the oldest plantings of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County. 21 hectares (51 acres) of these old vines are still in production today, producing low yields of grapes with concentrated flavor compounds. The vineyard sits on clay loam soils that are rich in calcium, perfect for the cultivation of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as a small quantity of Viognier. The neighboring La Rinconada vineyard was planted in 1997, and has a similar terroir, although Pinot Noir dominates here. Sanford's core wine range is founded on its portfolio of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, which includes several single-block and single-vineyard expressions, as well as a collection of sparkling and rosé wines. The estate also produces wines based on Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne from vineyards located across Santa Barbara County. The Terlato family, owners of several global wine brands became majority owners and managing partners in 2005.
