2018 “MT” Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir - Colluvial Wine

Spellbindingly pretty and ethereal undulations of Bing cherry, blood orange, wild blueberry, and strawberry compote lead a marvelously expressive and multidimensional display beautifully brimming with complex organic tones of pine needle, nori, tobacco leaf, and chanterelle mushroom. Wafts of fresh lavender and rose petal effortlessly bolster pronounced aromatics via a range of fragrant floral character interlaced with an eclectic medley of spices including cardamom, allspice, anise, and clove. Pleasant hints of ocean fog and diatomaceous earth round out the performance bringing a sense of clean coastal earthiness that fades into a thread of delightfully saline minerality. Magnificently perfumed and expansive on the nose with a palate that is endlessly layered and complex while still remaining delicate and weightless; exhibiting an effortlessly elegant yet serious presentation that possesses outstanding balance, tension, and purity all wrapped up with an unexplainable impression of je ne sais quoi. Medium bodied with soft tannin backed by bright acidity. This 2018 "MT" Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir by Colluvial Wine is a striking and seductive red from Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills.

Established in 1971 near the southwestern edge of what would eventually become the Santa Rita Hills AVA, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard was the first vineyard in Santa Barbara County to be planted to Pinot Noir and is still considered one of the greatest individual growing sites in the region more than a half-century from its inception. This bottling, crafted by Colluvial Wine using Pinot Noir grown at Sanford & Benedict, gorgeously exhibits how complex and compelling wine from this Grand Cru terroir can be. This delicately radiates a deep and expressive yet finesse-driven range of red and blue fruits layered with clean forest tones, perfumed florals, intriguing spices, and textbook coastal earthiness. Although currently showing some pleasant tertiary development, this wine is still quite youthful and easily has another 5-7 years of positive development ahead before reaching its drinking peak. Outstanding.