anford and Benedict Vineyard was born out of necessity in the late 1960s, after Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict began talking seriously about “getting back to the earth,” and starting a winery. At that time, the wine grape supply was not what it is today; the two partners looked around and found available and quality grapes lacking on the Central Coast. The obvious solution was to plant their own vineyard.

An independently minded contemporary, Josh Jensen of Calera Wine Co. fame, drove up and down the California coast looking for limestone outcroppings before finally settling in San Benito County. Richard Sanford made that same trek, with temperature gauge in hand. A geology major in college, he was looking for a cool climate, after studying historical weather information on both Burgundy and Bordeaux. What he found was cool fog rolling in off the Pacific Ocean at the western end of Santa Ynez Valley at Lompoc. The partners bought what they thought would be an ideal piece of property for their purposes and planted the vineyard in 1970, using the best practices information available to them at the time.

Although the wines were successful, the partnership fizzled in the late Seventies. Benedict bought out Sanford’s interest in the winery and vineyard. It was bittersweet, but Sanford went out in 1981 and established his own eponymous label. Later, in a strange twist of fate, Sanford and Benedict Vineyard was sold to Britishers Robert and Janice Atkins, who in turn put the vineyard’s fruit back in Sanford’s hands, as well as selling to other quality producers. The Atkins were the sellers to Terlato Wine Group, which also owns Chimney Rock, Alderbrook, Episode, Rutherford Hill and Terlato Family Vineyards.

Today, the 500 acre Sanford and Benedict Vineyard has 135 acres under vine, including 66 acres of Pinot Noir, 51 acres of Chardonnay and small amounts of Viognier and Pinot Gris. The contiguous La Rinconada Vineyard is a 438 acre ranch, with 130 acres planted in 1995: 60 acres of Chardonnay and 70 acres of Pinot Noir (Mount Eden, 115, 667, and 777 clones).

A Perfect Appellation for Pinot Noir

Sanford and Benedict was the original Sta. Rita Hills appellation vineyard, long before there was a designated appellation. The fact that it has changed hands again demonstrates that the interest in the appellation, and acquiring acreage, is at an all time high.

For Anthony Terlato, chairman of Terlato Wine Group, “Timing is everything, and this was the time” for solidifying his position in the appellation. “We are always open to looking at opportunities to add to our remarkable vineyard holdings. We are focused on this marvelous planted vineyard and beginning to plan our strategy for maximizing the quality of what this unique parcel of soil can produce.”

“Greatness is possible,” he said, upon the formal announcement of the Sanford and Benedict purchase. He then elaborated on what he meant and his vision for the future. “During the 50-some odd years in this industry as a retailer, importer and distributor, I have been privileged to sell, taste and drink thousands of wines from numerous vintages and producers, including the 1930s and 40s, up through the current releases. If a person sees enough thoroughbred horses in his life, he can recognize one when he sees one.

“Some of the Pinot Noir I've tasted from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard (and) from Sanford and other vintners using its fruit were thoroughbreds. We know good wines can be made in this vineyard and so we challenge ourselves not just to make good wines, but to make great wines. Wines that can be put on a table with the best in the world, tasted double blind and win!”

The vineyard is, however, one of the oldest in the county and, by some accounts, is showing its age. Terlato is aware of that and is willing to spend the money in the vineyard, where it counts, using the latest viticultural thinking. “Like any great vineyard, there needs to be a logical replanting plan,” he said. “Over the next seven years we will most likely replant the majority of the vineyard. I believe Pinot Noir is the point of the sword in Sanford & Benedict with Chardonnay. So, at the moment, we will concentrate on those varietals. There is no plan to graft the Viognier and Pinot Gris. Besides, I love the dried fruit flavors of Viognier.

The importance of acquiring Sanford and Benedict Vineyard was not lost on Doug Fletcher, vice president of winemaking for Terlato Wine Group; he oversees all the Terlato projects and he’s taking a special interest in this property. “Thirty years ago I started in the wine business by making Pinot Noir at Martin Ray, one of the first wineries in California to pioneer Pinot Noir,” he noted. “It is exciting to return to making Pinot Noir after all these years and to have an opportunity to do it under such a prestigious label as Sanford. It is like having a chance to make Chambertin in California.”

Terlato and Fletcher brought on Steve Fennell to become production winemaker at Sanford Winery in February of 2006. He’s also delighted to be able to work with such a historic vineyard. “We at Sanford Winery are extremely excited that the Terlatos have purchased Sanford and Benedict. The family has demonstrated over the years that they are committed to producing quality wines, and they know that this begins with growing great fruit. With the Terlato family's passion for great wine and their understanding of the financial requirements of redeveloping and managing a "Grand Cru" vineyard, I believe we can make truly outstanding wines from this property,” he said.

Reuniting the Vineyard with its Winery

Everyone agrees, including locals in the winemaking community, that it makes complete sense to reunite the vineyard with its original winery. “I believe the purchase of Sanford and Benedict Vineyard will be a good thing for that vineyard and everyone involved with it,” offered vintner Rick Longoria, who sources fruit from the vineyard for his Longoria Wines. “I expect that they will have the foresight and means to gradually replant the old sections of the vineyard. Closer spacing, devigorating rootstocks, new clones, modern trellis systems, etc., will all make a positive impact on the quality of the vineyard,” he said.

Alan Phillips, general manager at Foley Wine Estates, who planted Foley’s Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, agreed. “It’s an older vineyard and it needs rehabilitation. Frankly, it was the first vineyard in the appellation 20 years before it was an appellation,” he commented. “But it’s twenty-five-year-old technology; we have new ways to farm and new ways to do things now. The yields are depressed and vines are on their own rootstock. I think it’s a very logical move; obviously that ranch was associated with Sanford Winery from the very beginning.”

“I think the purchase truly is a logical next step for the winery,” said Fennell. “As the original Santa Rita Hills winery, it seems fitting that Sanford should own or control the appellation's most historic vineyard.” And Fletcher chimed it, “Sanford and Benedict Vineyard was part of the original Sanford project so it is nice to see it come home again.”

As far as farming practices in the vineyard presently, everything will pretty much stay with the status quo. “We made suggestions to (former owner) Robert Atkins that we could make his vineyards healthier by using sustainable viticulture practices,” said Terlato, “and he was a willing partner in those practices.” Likewise neither Fletcher or Fennell see any farming changes in the immediate future. “We don't anticipate major changes, only that as the end user of the fruit, we will do everything possible in the vineyard to make great wines,” said Fennell. “We will farm it using sustainable practices. To us, sustainable is the most ‘green’ approach,” Fletcher added. “Sanford and Benedict is a great asset for Sanford Winery and we will treat the vineyard with all the care it deserves. The objective is to insure that Sanford and Benedict is one of the greatest Pinot Noir vineyards in California.”

Interestingly enough, even though Sanford and Benedict is contiguous to La Rinconada Vineyard, the new owners have already detected differences in the terroir. “We do find them (the vineyards) different,” Terlato responded. “We define terroir as the differences between wines due to: soil, aspect, macro climate (generally known as weather) and micro climate (temperature within the trellis system). In the case of Sanford and Benedict, three out of the four conditions are slightly different than La Rinconada. The soils are different, the aspect is different and the micro climate is different due to the wind patterns. How all of this will affect the wines will be something we will be looking into over the next few years.”

Winemaker Fennell, who closely monitors both vineyards, agrees. “Currently the fruit from Sanford and Benedict is quite different from that of La Rinconada. I think several factors are at play. In addition to vine age, there are different clones, rootstocks, spacing and trellis systems. While much of the current fruit at Sanford and Benedict is of high quality, not all of the old vine blocks are producing stellar grapes. In fact some of our preferred blocks at Sanford and Benedict are younger vines. I think what is truly special about the vineyard, aside from the history, is the potential of the site, rather than the old vines themselves.”

Going forward, who knows how it will all play out in both vineyards, but certainly the Terlato team wants to chase the Holy Grail of Pinot Noir. “The wine will be a reflection of what this blessed composition of soil, exposure and climate will give us. I am personally fond of the wines of Burgundy,” commented Terlato. “This vineyard has a reputation and has proven it can produce extraordinary Pinot Noir. At times they have been referred to as ‘classically Burgundian.’"

Added Fennell, “I would like to see the style of Sanford wines to continue to evolve towards making complex Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that speak both of the appellation and the individual vineyards. We are in a cool climate region that lends itself to making big wines, especially Pinot. I think the wines should be big and rich, but with a sense of balance and harmony, so that people enjoy drinking them with food, rather than just admiring them.” And Fletcher echoed, “Steve and I know the Terlatos want to judge the Sanford wines against the great Pinot Noirs of the world. We know that we can make wine befitting of the comparison.”

But, in all this, the larger issue may be whether the continuing interest and inflow of money into the Sta. Rita Hills appellation will affect it positively or negatively. Recently Premier Pacific (a.k.a. William Hill, founder of William Hill, Van Duzer and Bighorn Cellars) bought the stellar Mount Carmel Vineyard, with 58 acres under vine and proceeded to also purchase the 3600 acre Rancho Salsipuedes, in order to plant about 100 acres. And as bigger money chases less and less available vineyard land in the appellation, the stakes get ratcheted up even more. As Foley’s Alan Phillips sardonically remarked, “They’re not making any more land; it’s a finite commodity.”

So far, the appellation has attracted quality players: those who are there because, in one sense or another, they believe, as Terlato says, that “greatness is possible.” And they’re chasing that ideal of Pinot Noir. But as for the future of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, only time will tell.

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Photos courtesy of the Terlato Wine Group