Vineyards
STA. RITA HILLS (Santa Rita Hills)
Recognized as an official AVA in 2001, the tiny Sta. Rita Hills appellation is located in western Santa Ynez Valley where cool temperatures and marine fog make it ideal for premium Pinot Noir. The soils are low-fertility, well-drained clay loam, rich in calcareous matter, which promotes firm structure and pure fruit expression in the grapes. The wines are concentrated with a dark wild blackberry character, their rich tannins suggesting excellent aging potential and development in the bottle.
One of the most fascinating qualities of Pinot Noir is its dynamic character and how genuinely reflective it is of a specific site. While the wines of Sta. Rita Hills all share a common theme, each vineyard has a unique, further refined expression. Based on my experiences, I have selected a handful of vineyards to source for Ken Brown Wines and work very closely with vineyard owners and managers to ensure we optimize each vineyard's unique signature. Three gems of the Sta. Rita Hills region—Clos Pepe, Cargasacchi and Sanford and Benedict—produce outstanding Pinot Noir and figure prominently in our Pinot Noir program.
Clos Pepe Vineyard
This family-run estate of only 28 acres is farmed with meticulous attention to detail that has propelled the vineyard to the forefront of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. The soils are low-nutrient sandy and clay loam, rich with calcium and calcareous shale, which helps to naturally restrict yields. The resulting wines are intensely flavored with a pure core of blueberry and blackberry fruit expression.
Cargasacchi Vineyard
This 16-acre property is located at the extreme west end of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation where its proximity to the Pacific Ocean makes it one of California's coolest vineyards. Planted in 1998, the vineyard is already producing Pinot Noirs of superior quality. The soils consist of ancient sea floor sediments made up primarily of calcareous shale. The low-nutrient environment combined with ideal clonal selections result in low-vigor vines, which produce rich, complex wines.
Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
This vineyard is the birthplace of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and helped bring to light the great potential of the region. The original vines of the Mt. Eden clone of Pinot Noir planted in 1971 are still producing small quantities of outstanding fruit. Newer Pinot Noir plantings of top quality rootstocks and clones have been added in recent years to fully explore the range of Pinot Noir quality and ensure Sanford and Benedict’s place as one of Sta. Rita Hills premier vineyards.
