A Day in the Sta. Rita Hills
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A stiff, warm breeze fluttered the pages of my notebook as I tasted wine in the Santa Rita Hills last weekend. The heat was unexpected for the first few days of November—all the more since I was in one of California’s coolest regions for growing grapes. A sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez AVA (American Viticultural Area), Sta. Rita Hills is located between the towns of Buellton and Lompoc. Two sets of east-to-west running hills funnel cool air and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean during the mornings of the region’s long growing season. This phenomenon, along with rocky soils that limit vine vigor, are key to the success of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for which the area is best known. The AVA was established in 2001 and was re-named a few years later (using the abbreviation, “Sta.”) at the behest of a Chilean winery with a similar name.
Foley’s winemaking facility–a re-claimed horse stable
Foley Vineyards
Grapes now grow at Rancho Santa Rosa, a former horse ranch. Bill Foley scouted the region in the late 1990s and Foley Estates Winery has matured with the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The winery occupies the former stable building and it is joined by a comfortable tasting room built in a similar style. Both are surrounded by many acres under vine. The wines are made using estate fruit from this vineyard and several others nearby.
Foley tasting room
The tasting flight included two Chardonnays and three Pinot Noirs from the 2013 and 2014 vintages – older than the current releases. The two Chardonnays were similar to one another and were made in a balanced style, using 30% and 50% new oak. The texture from the oak was balanced by good acidity and citrus notes. The three Pinots were more distinct from one another with flavors ranging from red cherry and spice to profiles that featured more earth and plush dark berry notes. All were well balanced, of medium intensity and somewhat lean (at least by California Pinot standards).
Entrance to Sanford Winery’s handsome adobe tasting room with the winery building visible in the background
Sanford
It was with a feeling of pilgrimage that I arrived at the Sanford Vineyard. This is where modern winemaking in the Santa Rita Hills began with the arrival of Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict in the early 1970s. They sought a place where the Burgundian varieties would flourish, and their success in finding it has been confirmed by the presence of over 60 wineries now established here. The business founded by Sanford and Benedict has evolved in the years since their first vintage in 1976. But these vineyards still hold the oldest Pinot vines in the region and supplied cuttings for the establishment of many neighboring vineyards.
Sanford’s beautiful tasting room and winery buildings were finished in 2001 and are located in the La Rinconada vineyard, planted in 1997 a bit west of the original vineyards. The winery’s commitment to sustainability is evident in the choice to craft these buildings using adobe bricks (cast on site) and timbers from an abandoned sawmill in the state of Washington. The 30-inch thick adobe walls impressively maintain cool cellar temperatures in the barrel rooms, even on a warm autumn day, and minimize the need for mechanical cooling.
Tasting on the veranda with vines in the distance
In addition to the expected Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, the tasting flights also offered Sauvignon Blanc (sourced from elsewhere in the Santa Ynez AVA), Pinot Blanc (Santa Maria Valley) and an Estate-grown Viognier. The white wines all exhibited generous fruit and texture without much offsetting acidity.
The day’s high point was tasting the Sanford Chardonnays and Pinots, all small-production offerings from the 2014 and 2015 vintages. Two of these were from side-by-side vineyard blocks, offering the chance to compare single clones of Pinot Noir grown in virtually identical conditions. All were crafted in a classic, restrained style with an elegance that allows subtle differences to come through.
Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance: www.staritahills.com
