This wine is concentrated and powerful. It has the freshness that is unique to north-facing vineyards, and you can feel the characteristics of Bentrock all over. After pouring into the glass, the wine will blend in when exposed to air. It will also improve with long-term aging. Bentrock is a north-facing vineyard at the western end of the Santa Rita Hills AVA. Bentrock, which has marine sedimentary soils, is densely planted, similar to the characteristics of Domaine de la Cote's own vineyards. Sandy is a small-batch winery that makes wine from carefully selected vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County. It was founded in 2010 by Raja Parr, who was the wine director of the Michael Mina Restaurant Group at the time, and winemaker Sashi Moorman. Sandy's concept is quite simple: to combine the three essential elements of winemaking - "people," "soil," and "grapes" - into one "shape." This means not only making great wine, but also caring about the employees who work there and the natural environment. Sandy's quintessence is how to create a wonderful shape using the terroir of Santa Barbara County, which is the holy land of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California. He incorporates both traditional and new vineyards, pursuing balance and making the most of each individuality. The current growers include Bentrock, Rita's Crown, Sanford & Benedict, Mt. Carmel, and Rinconada, and La Côte, a vineyard owned by our sister winery Domaine de la Côte, will be added to this. In winemaking, we highlight the sophistication, minerality, rich acidity, and structure to reveal the hidden power and beauty of the grapes. If the fruit is too assertive, the alcohol is too high, or the aroma of the barrel is too strong, the terroir will be blurred. By making wine that respects the land, the terroir of Santa Rita Hills will be crisp, fresh, and energetic wines.
This is the same for both white and red wines. All wines are made using only indigenous yeasts. Chardonnay is pressed through a slow, long pressing cycle to preserve the original aromas of the grapes. MLF is done, but the lees are not touched. Pinot Noir uses a lot of whole bunches, which gives the wine a lively feel, a spicy aroma reminiscent of cola, and a complex, smooth texture. The containers used are mainly puncheons, old barrels, and concrete, with new barrels used sparingly. All of this is made possible by the clay soil and diatomaceous earth that Santa Rita Hills is proud of, the strong winds unique to the region, the north-facing slope, and the old vines. No water, sugar, or acidification is done, and no enzymes or stabilizers are added. The winery name "Sandy" comes from the Sanskrit word for interlocution or cooperation in India, Raja's hometown. Raja and Sashi also collaborate at Evening Land in Oregon, leading the elegant movement in Oregon.