Thanks to several years of good vintages, the 2021 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is elegant, complex, and has a vivid red fruit aroma. The aromas of wild herbs, spices, and black berries linger on the finish. The grapes come from Domaine de la Côte's own vineyards on the west side of the Santa Rita Hills AVA, as well as from vineyards cultivated by the company's own team. In 2021, Santa Rita Hills produced a number of excellent wines. In addition to mild conditions throughout the growing season, the weather during the critical ripening period was nearly perfect. The temperature was generally cool, the vineyards were covered in fog in the early morning, and the sun was abundant in the afternoon. There were no significant heat waves. We harvested an excellent amount of grapes that were fresh, full of energy, and full of flavor. The resulting wine has a strong body and presence, as well as freshness. Sandy is a small-batch winery that produces wines 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 wines, but also caring about the employees who work there and the natural environment. The essence of Sandy is how to create a great "shape" using the terroir of Santa Barbara County, which is the holy land of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California. Sandy incorporates both traditional and new vineyards, pursuing balance and making the most of the individuality of each. The current growers include Bentrock, Rita's Crown, Sanford & Benedict, Mt. Carmel, and Rinconada, and LaCôte, a sister winery owned by Domaine de la Côte, will be added. In winemaking, the subtlety, minerality, rich acidity, and structure are fully highlighted to reveal the hidden power and beauty of the grapes. If the fruit is too assertive, the alcohol is too high, or the barrel aroma 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 wine.
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 press 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 scent 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" means "interlocution" or "cooperation" in Sanskrit, Raja's hometown of India. Raja and Sashi also collaborate at Evening Land in Oregon, leading the elegant movement in Oregon.