Once 2023 Old Vine Pinot Noir

Sta. Rita Hills, California | Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

The 2023 Co^lluvial™ “Once” Old Vine Pinot bottling is grounded in the majesty of California’s Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). The fruit is drawn from the original plantings of the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. First planted in 1971, this vineyard is home to the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Santa Barbara County. Named one of the five most important and iconic vineyards in California by Wine Enthusiast, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is renowned for both its historical significance and the continued quality of the fruit it produces.  The vineyard has some of the most complex soils we have been lucky enough to work with.  Mostly clay and clay loam, this hillside vineyard is also strewn with pockets of limestone, fracture shale, chert and other sedimentary deposits. This mixture gives the soil great water holding capacity from the clay but breaks up the matrix by aeration and drainage from the stony components.

Tasting Notes

“This light-bodied, savory wine goes for charm and complexity and succeeds. Lowish in ripeness and alcohol, it emphasizes intricate cherry, black-tea, mushroom and forest floor nuances that keep evolving in the glass. Star anise, turned earth and bay leaves as well”

“The 2023 Pinot Noir Once Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Old Vines has more to say than the other vineyard-designate bottlings tasted alongside. Tart raspberry, new leather, tobacco leaf and white pepper notes build nicely, settling into the palate with attractive concentration—surely a function of the older vines in this blend.”

Food Pairings

Lamb Chops with pomegranate glaze. Slow-Grilled Rack of Lamb with Mustard and Herbs with Caramelized Onion Jam. Toro Tuna over Crispy Rice.

To download the full Co^lluvial™ Information Sheet, click here.