Pinot Noir, Sanford & Benedict Vyd, Sta. Rita Hills, 2020

Fine delicate floral red fruits on the nose, on the palate this is so tender and gentle, lovely seductive flow with inner tension and a bittersweet core of raspberry and cherry fruit. A fine-grained quality to the tannins leads to a savoury, stony finish. Still quite tight this needs a couple of years, but you can tell by the long finish that it is going to flourish. A legendary Santa Rita AVA vineyard first planted in 1971. Sitting on the southern side of the Santa Rosa Hills, it is slightly more sheltered than La Encantada to the west of it and has soils composed of calcium rich clay, fractured shale and diatomaceous earth. The site is roughly 9 miles from the Ocean and between 200-350 ft above sea level. Ryan has worked this vineyard since 2010, and pulls fruit from the original 1971 plantings. Up to 20% whole bunch is employed for this cuvee, depending on the vintage.