2015 Sanford Winery Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Santa Barbara 750 ml

Many Times Tasted Blind, Mistook for White Burgundy

The 2015 Sanford Winery Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills from Santa Barbara County is history and excellence in a bottle. It is sourced from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Santa Barbara’s first Chardonnay planting, named by Wine Enthusiast to its list of “California’s Grand Cru Chardonnays.” Rajat Parr, the James Beard award winning Sommelier who sources fruit from Sanford & Benedict for his Sandhi label, confessed to having mistaken Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay for Burgundy “many times” in blind tastings. We don’t blame him. The 2015 Sanford Winery Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills exhibits both a rich, fruit-driven, California side, and a fabulously mineral, Burgundian side, blended seamlessly in masterful fashion. Today, before the critics, 100 cases have been earmarked for Wine Access clients.

The founders of Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict planted the Chardonnay that would catapult Santa Barbara onto the world stage in 1972. Today, 23 acres of that original planting still exist. What drew Sanford and Benedict to the area was a climate similar to that of maritime France. Cool, sea-breezes prolonged growing seasons and provided ideal ripening conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay brilliance that followed Sanford and Benedict’s inaugural planting is on full display in today’s 2015 — scintillating freshness, ripe citrus fruit, mouthwatering acidity, and Macon-like minerality.

When the critics rate today’s 2015, the price will almost certainly go up. But, given today’s exclusive release, Wine Access clients still have time to avoid the chaos. Our recommendation? Lock in a case, before it’s too late.