2024 Sante Arcangeli Family Wines Chardonnay Split Rail Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains 750 ml

Unless you spend A LOT of time in the Santa Cruz Mountains, you’ve probably never heard of Sante Arcangeli Family Wines. But we’ve gotta say, we’ve rarely seen a winery zoom from under-the-radar to the front of the pack so quickly.

Sante Arcangeli is putting out some of the finest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs in the Santa Cruz Mountains. That’s saying a ton, since the region—which includes world-class Rhys—is one of the greatest spots in the New World for the Burgundy varieties. 

“The only reason I started a label at all is because I wanted to keep making wine," John Benedetti told us, about Sante Arcangeli. “I did the label to finance the habit." He had worked as a cellar rat in a now-defunct Santa Cruz Mountains winery, founded an acclaimed brewery—and then, in 2010, he started Sante Arcangeli, whose name is a tribute to John’s grandfather

The Split Rail Vineyard has long been John Benedetti's primary vineyard. The remarkable, dry-farmed property is just five-acres—an even split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—and sits at 1,700 feet of elevation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, surrounded by redwood forest. And you’ve got to see it to believe it. “It feels like you could walk off the mountain onto the fog,” John says, “you’re just on an island.”

In 2024, Benedetti harvested before a big end-of-season heat spike, picking at a modest 22 brix. He fermented the wine in barrels and in concrete eggs, then aged it in a combination of the two—and just 20% of the French oak is new. The shape of the concrete eggs creates a stirring action during fermentation that makes for a perfect texture to balance out the acidity, and John, a huge fan sur lie wines, kept this one on its lees right up until bottling.

The concrete, according to John, also accentuated the maritime character of Split Rail. "It really brought out the brininess," he said, drawing a contrast to oak. That maritime influence is the perfect accent for the vineyard’s seductive Meyer lemon and chamomile character. Overall, thanks to the balance it displays, the 2024 is John’s favorite Chardonnay he's made.