2019 Co^lluvial "MT" Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2019 Co^lluvial™ “MT” Pinot bottling is grounded in the majesty of California’s Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). The fruit is drawn from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. First planted in 1971, this vineyard is home to the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Santa Barbara County. Named one of the five most important and iconic vineyards in California by Wine Enthusiast, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is renowned for both its historical significance and the continued quality of the fruit it produces. The vineyard has some of the most complex soils we have been lucky enough to work with. Mostly clay and clay loam, this hillside vineyard is also strewn with pockets of limestone, fracture shale, chert and other sedimentary deposits. This mixture gives the soil great water holding capacity from the clay but breaks up the matrix by aeration and drainage from the stony components.
A complex nose of intermingled flowers, tobacco leaf, and wet earth. On the palate red fruits, cherries, cocoa and spice with a signature S&B vineyard hint of orange rind. This wine packs a lot of complexity with light tannins and long and vibrant mineral finish which will reward cellaring for years to come. Fernando B. Fernandez – Winemaker
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Varietal | Pinot Noir |
| Varietal Composition | S&B Own & Dijon 115 |
| Appellation | Sta. Rita Hills |
| Vineyard | Sanford & Benedict Vineyard |
| Aging | 19 months in Francois Freres French Oak (16% New) |
| Alcohol | 13.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 135 & 12 Magnums |
“Strong bay leaf and dewy herb aromas decorate the tart pomegranate aromas on the nose of this bottling. The palate surrounds flavors of pomegranate and cranberry, with more forest-herb and an orange-rind element arising by the finish.” 91 Points – Matt Kettmann – Wine Enthusiast
“Savory and sous-bois notes lead the way here, with a mix of blood orange and damson plum fruit following along. Ends with light sandalwood and tea details.” 90 Pts James Molesworth-Wine Spectator
“The restrained essence of cool red pinot fruit is trimmed in pretty spice and floral hints. The delicious and vibrant lighter weight flavors possess good delineation on the reasonably persistent finish. This is a very pretty pinot if a bit light and one that is sufficiently forward such that 2 to 3 years of cellaring should be sufficient.” 88 Pts/2024+ Allen Meadows’ Burghound Issue #87
Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
Named one of the five most important and iconic vineyards in California by Wine Enthusiast, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is renowned for both its historical significance and the continued quality of the fruit it produces. First planted in 1971, this vineyard is home to the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Santa Barbara County. Today, within this vineyard we still farm 51 acres of vines from the original planting. Another unique aspect of these original plantings is that they were planted on their own root stock (vitis vinifera) and these “own rooted” vines have flourished for more than 45 years.
This vineyard is blessed with calcium rich clay loam soils with a lot of fractured shale and chert- a result of the sloughing off of the top half of this mountain over 1million years ago. Primarily planted to Pinot Noir, the Sanford & Benedict vineyard features more than 20 individual blocks and 11 different clones.
