2021 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Rita Hills AVA
Tasting Notes
“Medium light yellow hue. Notes of honeydew, honey, passionfruit, ripe fig, coconut, and pineapple unite around a secondary note of orange sorbet in this Chardonnay. While the aromas and flavors are in harmony, there is bright acidity along with dynamic layers, indicative of the complex soil. This wine finishes with undulations, persistence, and a pleasing touch. It continues to improve and open up with further aeration. Enjoy now through 2032.”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
July 2023
“Apricot, citron and light mint aromas make for a fascinating nose on this bottling from the region’s seminal property. The fantastic texture is tense, chalky and bright yet still rich with macadamia nut and squeezed citrus flavors.”
Matt Kettmann
Wine Enthusiast
December 2023
Production Data
Growers: Terlato Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Rita Hills AVA
Elevation/Exposure: 395 feet; North
Soil: Santa Lucia shaly clay loam and Botella clay loam, with proportion of fragmented chert
Vineyard Age: 50 years
Viticulture Practice: Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW)
Vinification: Pressed Whole-cluster, fermented in French Oak
Cooperage & Ageing: 19 months in French Oak, 41% new
Production: 18 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay (53% Wente Clone & 47% Clone 4)
Acidity: 3.15 pH, 7.17 TA (g/L)
Alcohol: 14.1%
Harvest: October 10, 2021, hand harvested
Club Release: August 2023
Release Price: $55
Drink Now through 2032
Past Vintage Wine Scores
“Toasty nose, lush, creamy, with butterscotch and lively acidity, elegant, a lovely wine from California’s most historic vineyards.”
Anthony Dias Blue
July 2022
“Aromas of lemon curd, sliced almond and grapefruit. Medium-to full-bodied with lovely mineral character. The palate builds with wet-stone notes mixing with hay and straw. Long. Drink or hold.”
James Suckling
May 2022
“Our favorite of the Testarossa Chardonnays, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is a standout with its depth and precision. Lemon citrus and stone fruit notes are accompanied by a floral, honeysuckle-like component on an admirably concentrated, deeply flavored, silky palate. Showing refinement and balance, the wine reveals deft winemaking as well as exceptional terroir. Sourced from the historic, northern facing Sanford & Benedict Vineyard at 400′ elevation. This historic vineyard was planted by Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict in 1971 in siliceous gravel covering deep, well-drained soils and a relatively high water table fed by springs located in the hills behind the vineyards and winery, thus permitting dry farming. Matured 15 months in 46% new French oak.”
International Wine Review
October 2021
“Light yellow-gold. An expansive bouquet evokes fresh honeydew melon, nectarine and Meyer lemon, along with suggestions of vanilla, smoky oak and ginger. Deftly blends power and vivacity, offering palate-staining pit and citrus fruit flavors that are complemented by suggestions of buttered toast, fennel and honeysuckle. Shows fine detail and spicy cut on the persistent finish, which strongly echoes the vanilla and floral notes. 46% new French oak.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
May 2022
“White-melon, light honeysuckle, tropical pineapple and creamy white-peach aromas make for a very heady yet soft nose on this bottling from a historic vineyard. It’s energetic and fresh on the grippy palate, with Meyer lemon Popsicle and mandarin orange flavors that ride a long-lingering acidity.”
Matt Kettmann
Wine Enthusiast
“Bright nose, tangy and neatly structured, racy and showing juicy acidity; silky and fresh with toasty oak notes; long and balanced.”
Anthony Dias Blue
March 2020
“Brought up in 50% new French oak, the 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard delivers impressive orchard fruits, white flowers, and subtle background oak to go with a medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced style on the palate. It has classic Sta. Rita Hills salinity, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish, all making for an outstanding Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 4-5 years.”
Jeb Dunnuck
August 2020
“Classic lemon curd, pineapple, and white flower notes emerge from the 2017 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. (This vineyard always seems to yield a more Chablis-like aromatic style.) Brought up in 54% new French oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, sexy texture, plenty of fruit, and a great finish.”
Jeb Dunnuck
October 2019
“Light bright yellow. Aromas of fresh pear, nectarine and Meyer lemon; suave floral and mineral nuances gain strength as the wine opens up. Shows impressive depth as well as energy on the palate, which offers juicy orchard and pit fruit flavors underscored and energized by a vein of juicy acidity. Delivers a compelling blend of richness and finesse and finishes with outstanding persistence, leaving hints of vanilla and smoky minerals behind.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
November 2019
“Brioche, pineapple and ripe melon aromas make for a creamy nose on this bottling from the vineyard’s historic old vines that were planted in 1971. The palate zips with acidity, carrying flavors of lemon sorbet and sea salt. It’s very taut and tense throughout.”
Matt Kettman
Wine Enthusiast
November 2019
The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation is now back at Testarossa! Our first vintage from this outstanding vineyard was in 2004 when it was still under the guidance of famed Richard Sanford, pioneer of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. In 2007 the Terlato family took ownership of the vineyard, making it one of several of their grape-growing properties including La Rinconada Vineyard just next door. Testarossa currently receives 6 of 16 acres of Pinot Noir and 4 of 28 acres of Chardonnay produced from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. This beautiful vineyard sits at just about 400 feet in elevation with a northern exposure, just southeast of Lompoc. The soil consists of well-drained gravelly loam mixed with clay and fragmented chert.
The area is situated near an unusual valley perpendicular to the coast that allows funneled winds between the mountains and the sea that is ideal for growing cool-climate varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.