"From a site on the other (southern) side of the appellation, the 2020 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir saw quite a bit more stems and was fermented with 40% stems and brought up in 20% new oak. It has a wonderful nose of ripe red and black currants as well as subtle woodsmoke, dried herbs, and forest floor. This carries to a pure, medium-bodied, balanced Pinot Noir with ripe tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It opens up nicely with time in the glass and will no doubt benefit from another year or two of bottle age.<!--more-->These latest releases from Gavin Chanin are pretty much straight-up brilliant across the board. Gavin pulls from some of the top sites in Santa Barbara County and favors a little bit of stems depending on the vineyard and aging in mostly neutral barrels. These are pure, classic, incredibly impressive wines that offer plenty of enjoyment in their youth, yet they can also evolve and age gracefully. As I write in the reviews, these wines are rarely about power and opulence and shine for their remarkable elegance, purity, and finesse. I love the wines. (Drink starting 2023)" Jeb Dunnuck 94+JD
"Not enough can be said about the quality consistently being produced by Gavin Chanin... 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 Dunnuck
Vintage2020 VarietalPinot Noir AppellationSta. Rita Hills VineyardSanford & Benedict Alcohol13.50% Volume750 ml
