2017 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir
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Lastly, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict comes from one of the top sites in the Sta. Rita Hills and was 60% destemmed and brought up in 15% new French oak for 15 months. It has a beautiful bouquet of sweet strawberries, toasted spices, forest floor, and earth, with just a hint of salty minerality and seaside-like notes. Ethereal, medium-bodied, ultra-pure, and flawlessly balanced, it's a stunning Pinot Noir that ranks with the finest releases in the vintage. It will keep for 10-15 years.
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Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is subtle, nuanced and nicely layered in the glass. Dried cherry, crushed flowers, mint and game are some of the aromas and flavors that develop. The S&B has a bit more body than some of the other 2017 Pinots, but remains decidedly light. I just don't see the texture or resonance that are the most singular characteristics of this site, one of the very finest in all of the United States. Gavin Chanin gave the 2017 33% new oak, a bit more than what is customary.
Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard has a pretty nose of dried rose petal, orange peel and amaro with raspberry and strawberry preserves, cocoa, warm black cherries, perfumed earth, mineral notions, charcuterie and cinnamon stick—what a wonderful perfume! It's light to medium-bodied with fantastic intensity and oodles of floral perfume. It has a firm frame of very finely grained tannins and juicy freshness, finishing very long and perfumed. 196 cases produced.