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Santa Barbara Chardonnay

California Chardonnay

Burgundy, France, is the benchmark for the finest expression of the Chardonnay grape.

Top Burgundian vineyards, created over a thousand years ago by Cistercian monks. They keep their power and mystique to this day.

Over the centuries and decades, many other countries–notably the United States and Australia–have tried to emulate their style and expression.

Burgundy, France, is the benchmark for the finest expression of the Chardonnay grape Click to Tweet

The Burgundian climate and its mix of soils are unique to that region.

Yet one may find cool-climate locations with terroir appropriate to growing fine Chardonnay grapes in many Appellation Viticultural areas in California.

Santa Barbara Chardonnay - "Old World Chardonnay?"

Santa Barbara Chardonnay balances the lean, terroir-driven Chardonnay of Burgundy, France and the lush, ripe oaked style of the “California Chardonnay” stereotype.

Sonoma County produces excellent cool-climate Chardonnay in a Burgundian style, yet Santa Barbara Chardonnay remains slightly richer, with riper fruit, and with a more affordable price tag,

How Santa Barbara Chardonnay Got its Start

Every Santa Barbara Chardonnay producer has his or her own story.

(Click here to read the original story on Forbes.com)

Yet many “Old Timers” chalk up the popularity of Santa Barbara Chardonnay to the work of Michael Benedict and Richard Sanford in the early 1970s.

Both men, longtime friends, shared a passion for “Old World” Chardonnay.

Most supermarkets and even wine stores stocked the then-popular style of California Chardonnay.

This popular Chardonnay wine style saw extensive aging in oak (or the addition of oak chips). Many credit this style to Kendall-Jackson.

Winemakers also employed a process known as “malolactic fermentation” to give the wine richness, weight, and a buttery quality.

Most supermarkets and even wine stores stocked the then-popular style of California Chardonnay. Click to Tweet

Benedict and Sanford liked to taste terroir in their wine. They liked zesty acidity.

And they found themselves frustrated by California Chardonnay available in supermarkets and even fine wine stores. Shelves overflowed with Chardonnay made in the then-popular “California Style.”

Oak. Butter. Butterscotch…

Many consumers loved this rich, buttery style.

But Sanford and Benedict knew California could produce a Burgundian style if they could find a vineyard with cool-climate influences.

The Sanford & Benedict Search for Cool Climate California Chardonnay

The two Santa Barbara Chardonnay entrepreneurs did not have a large budget. And the technology we take for granted today did not then exist.

So their passion for terroir took them up and down the entire coast of California by boat and car to locate an appropriate cool climate vineyard.

Research. Observation. Data. Analysis.

Weeks turned into months.

Santa Barbara Chardonnay Discovery

Finally, the partners found the perfect location in Santa Ynez, within Santa Barbara County.

This would become the Sanford & Benedict vineyard. Perfect for Santa Barbara Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

With vines planted in 1973, their vineyard formed the foundation of what is now the Sta. Rita Hills American Viticulture Area (AVA) Click to Tweet

With vines planted in 1973, their vineyard formed the foundation of what is now the Sta. Rita Hills American Viticulture Area (AVA), which received its designation in 2001.

Even today, nearly a half century later, experts agree that the very best Santa Barbara Chardonnay has many of the characteristics found in Chardonnay of Burgundy, France.

Why is Santa Barbara Chardonnay so Special?

The original Sanford and Benedict vineyard is located 10 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.

Under normal circumstances, it could be too warm to grow high-quality grapes for winemaking.

Luckily, the unusual east-west orientation of the Santa Ynez Valley provides a pathway to the Pacific Ocean.

This pathway is like the well-known Petaluma Gap in Sonoma.

It exists as a maritime influence to provide a cooling effect on the vineyard.

The topography allows a path for cold air from the ocean to pass between the mountains, cooling what would otherwise be a warm vineyard.

It exists as a maritime influence to provide a cooling effect on the vineyard. Click to Tweet

The Terlato Wine Group are now the majority owners and managing partners of what was once Sanford & Benedict. The emphasis on cool climate Chardonnay and a restrained approach to winemaking remains a stylistic key.

Santa Barbara Chardonnay vintage Tasting

Recently I enjoyed the opportunity to taste several vintages of cool climate Chardonnay (from 2011 to 2016) with both John Terlato and Michael Benedict in New York.

The aim was to compare the wine from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard with the prized La Rinconada Vineyard (planted in 1997), just twenty feet away.

Another aim – to test the ability of wine from this superior terroir to improve with age.

The wine tasting of this classic Santa Barbara Chardonnay revealed that these wines could improve with age.

The 2011 was drinking well, marked by the vibrant acidity and elegant touch important to both founders.

The two founders also liked to pair their Santa Barbara Chardonnay with food.

Santa Barbara Chardonnay Today

Outside of the principal town of Sta Maria Valley, many The Old-timers say that the city looks much the way it did when Sanford and Benedict first arrived.

Plan your visit in advance by contacting the Santa Barbara visitor’s Bureau. You will find many classic Santa Barbara wineries to visit and delicious restaurants to eat.

The short film in this link showcases the natural beauty of the Sta Rita Hills AVA.

And the Saturday Evening Post offers another beautiful video of attractions in Southern California Wine Country.