Winemaker Notes
The 2018 La Rinconada Vineyard Pinot Noir is a wine of tremendous depth. La Rinconada comes from Sanford's higher elevation vineyard blocks, all high on the hill east of the winery. These windy and steep vineyards give great intensity, complexity and structure. Black tea, leather, fennel, and raspberries all jump out of the glass. The 2018 is deep, rich and suave with great length. This wine is delicious now yet has the balance and structure to age gracefully for some time.
 
La Rinconada is the sister vineyard to our neighboring iconic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. La Rinconada shares a similar Monterey Shale soil composition as S&B while also possessing blocks of alluvial soil accumulated over many thousands of years. This La Rinconada single vineyard wine is selected from individual barrels of our highest quality La Rinconada blocks. Our hillside grown Dijon clones 777, 667, 115 and Mt. Eden selection east of our winery provide the incredible structure, intensity and complexity within this wine.
 
1st vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills & 1st to plant Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara
100% Estate Grown & Family Owned
Both La Rinconada and iconic Sanford & Benedict Vineyards are certified sustainable
Unique soil composition, cool climate, and enough sunlight allows to deliver the highest quality vintage after vintage
 
In Santa Barbara wine country, it all began with Sanford Winery. Recognizing the rare harmony of climate and soil, the pioneering Sanford & Benedict Vineyard was planted in 1971, setting the benchmark for the Sta. Rita Hills AVA.
Today, under the stewardship of the Terlato Family and acclaimed winemaker Trey Fletcher, Sanford Winery continues to evolve, reimagining style and character in extraordinary wine. With a focus on restraint and continuous refinement, they craft evocative, thought-provoking California Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that captivate connoisseurs. Distinctly site-specific, the wines are precise and nuanced—capturing the essence of their terroir while remaining fresh, inspiring, and undeniably delicious.