2014 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict
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Tasting notes
This wine comes from the oldest block of the original vines still intact from the original 1971 planting of its vineyard. A gravelly site full of silica and at an elevation to receive both some wind and daily fog, while also facing north so staying rather cool most of the day. Fermented and aged in new puncheons for 11 months, then in tank for six. The notes in both the aromatics and palate carry a deeper tone, hitting at a lower register, compared with the Mt Carmel and Bentrock. There is also a broader presence across the palate. Mixed citrus notes marry to savoury flavours and the salty-savoury flavour of aged meats carry through a long finish. There is a bit more phenolic cut to this wine – especially compared to the Mt Carmel, which is almost lacy in comparison, while the Bentrock is more taut and compact currently – and a feeling of more concentration as well, which makes sense considering the age of the vines. Delicious. Matchstick on the nose and palate. Long, juicy finish. (ECB)
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Decanter
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is the most supple and easygoing of these Chardonnays from Sandhi. Yellow stone fruit, flowers, mint and lightly floral honey give the S&B much of its open-knit, welcoming personality. Although not especially complex, the 2014 is delicious and should drink well for another few years.
The 2014 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is the most supple and easygoing of these Chardonnays from Sandhi. Yellow stone fruit, flowers, mint and lightly floral honey give the S&B much of its open-knit, welcoming personality. Although not especially complex, the 2014 is delicious and should drink well for another few years. Sep 2016, www.vinous.com, Drink: 2016-2020
Featured in William Kelley's Top American Wines of 2016. It was a great pleasure to visit Rajat Parr in Santa Barbara at the beginning of this year and to see some of the extreme sites his team are farming. Since 2011, Raj and his winemaker Sashi Moorman have been producing consistently thrilling Chardonnays and the 2014s may well be their best to date. This wine, which hails from a vineyard planted in 1971 by the pioneering Richard Sandford, is beautiful, opening in the glass with a complex bouquet of lemon zest, tart pear, tangerine oil, subtle hazlenut and a lick of noble reduction. On the palate the wine is concentrated, intense and deep at the core, with great cut and energy through a finish that tingles with minerality. At 12% alcohol this is very far from the caricature of California Chardonnay, and readers who are about to get stung by 2015 Burgundy pricing should give this a serious look. Jan 2017, www.decanter.com, Drink: 2016-2030