2018 Chanin Pinot Noir Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

"There are just seven barrels of the 2018 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict, which is from one of the top sites in the Sta. Rita Hills. Fermented with 35% whole clusters and aged 19 months in 30% new oak, it has lots of salty red and black fruits, earth, forest floor, and spicy aromas and flavors, medium to full body, a stunning texture, great mid-palate depth, and enough tannins to warrant short-term cellaring. It's a real "wow" Pinot Noir and easily the finest wine I've tasted from this estate. Not enough can be said about the quality consistently being produced by Gavin Chanin, and he's produced some of the top wines of 2018. Pulling primarily from sites like Bien Nacido, Los Alamos, and Sanford & Benedict, Gavin's wines are always exceedingly elegant, with bright acidity, yet they also have depth, length, and a sense of pure class. In addition, they show singular characters. As to the winemaking, the Pinot Noirs generally see a small percentage of stems, and the new oak is kept in the 20% to 30% range pretty much across the board. Unfortunately, quantities are minuscule, so most of these releases are under 200 cases." - Jeb Dunuck Review Date: August 2020

"The 2018 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is another absolutely stunning wine in this range. Rich, sumptuous and explosive, the S&B simply has it all. Ripe dark red/purplish fruit, lavender and spice scream out of the glass. The depth, power and concentration here are just unreal." - Antonio Galloni Review Date: August 2020