2016 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
2016 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
Library Release! Stunning aged Pinot Noir from this legendary vineyard.
Description
Our featured library wine for March is our 2016 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir. S&B retains a lot of body and power even at 10 years old. The color is a deep ruby red with just a sliver of garnet at the edges. On the nose we find hints of dried cherries, leather and violets. The rich, smooth palate features dark chocolate and maraschino cherries, leading to a long finish of berry compote and dark coffee.
Vineyard Designation
Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
Vineyard Notes
100% Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills. This vineyard is the birthplace of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and played a significant role in bringing recognition to the great potential of the region. Planted by Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict in 1971, wines produced from this vineyard continue to set the highest quality standards. About half of this Pinot Noir hails from vines planted in 2008 to the highly regarded clone 943. The balance is from a nearby block of clone 2A planted in 2011. The soil type is the Botella Series, a composition of both clay and loam with a high calcareous content, which drains well and helps keep yields low.
Production Notes
Unseasonably warm weather in February was moderated by cold nighttime temperatures, suppressing budbreak until early March, a bit later than the 2014 and 2015 vintages. While the limited winter rainfall was disappointing, the timing was advantageous. Most precipitation fell January through March, allowing flowering and set to occur without the threat of damage. The rest of the harvest season saw cooler temperatures alternate with short warmer spells, which helped winemakers target optimum ripening of the fruit. Crop yields were average and berry size was small to medium. Grapes from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard were harvested on August 23 and September 12.
Winemaker Notes
Pinot Noir clusters for this wine were hand sorted before being de-stemmed and gravity fed to small open top fermenters. The must was immediately chilled for a pre-fermentation cold soak. During fermentation, concentration was enhanced by gently punching down the cap several times per day. The wine aged 19 months in French oak barrels with 42% new oak. The wine received a light fining to round out the tannins and was bottled on April 18, 2018.
| Vintage |
2016 |
| Wine Style |
Red Wine |
| Varietal |
100% Pinot Noir |
| Appellation |
Sta. Rita Hills |
| Acid |
5.7 g/l |
| PH |
3.50 |
| Alcohol % |
14.6 |
| Size |
750 ml |
