Starting with the 2021 vintage, grapes of higher quality have been used, and the taste has been upgraded. Only grapes from the Hines Family Estate and Domaine de la Côte vineyards are used. It has a concentrated flavor with sugared citrus peel, nectarine, sea salt, subtle spices, saltiness, and a splash of acidity. The well-integrated oak aroma creates texture and impact. "Santa Rita Hills" is a village-level wine in Burgundy, but we are serious about making this "village wine". We make this a reality by using more than 90% of the grapes from our own vineyards at Domaine de la Côte. Sandy is a small-batch winery that makes wine from carefully selected vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. Sandy 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 for the employees 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 traditional and new vineyards, pursuing balance and making the most of the individuality of each. The current growers we use are Bentrock, Rita's Crown, Sanford & Benedict, Mt. Carmel, and Rinconada, and will be adding LaCôte, our own vineyard owned by our sister winery, Domaine de la Côte. In winemaking, we highlight the subtlety, minerality, rich acidity, and structure of the grapes, revealing their inherent power and beauty. If the fruit is too assertive, the alcohol is too high, or the aromas of the oak are too strong, the terroir will be blurred. When we make wine that respects the land, the terroir of Santa Rita Hills is crisp, fresh, and energetic.
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 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" 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.