California is blessed with a wealth of top winegrowing terroirs, but for Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of Burgundian finesse and elegance, there are few to match Sta Rita Hills. The Sta Rita Hills story began in 1971, when business partners Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict planted the now-renowned Sanford & Benedict Vineyard – the first in Santa Barbara County to be planted to Pinot Noir.
At that time, local farmers believed it was foolish to plant wine grapes in the area’s marginal climate. But, after making comparative studies with Burgundy, Sanford was convinced it would work. Other modern-day pioneers of cool-climate Californian wine such as Bryan Babcock and Rick Longoria soon followed. The pace of change in the region quickened into the 1990s, when the first Dijon clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay became available in California, and quality-focused farming techniques such as cover-cropping and high-density planting were adopted.
Producers like Brewer-Clifton, Sea Smoke and Melville further cemented the region's reputation as a world-class area for these two grapes, drawing direct stylistic comparisons to Burgundy.Latterly, wines released by the likes of Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman of Domaine de la Côte, Matt Brady of Samsara, Ryan Deovlet, and, Étienne de Montille and Justin Willett of Racine have served to confirm Sanford’s original conviction that this area had something special.
In Burgundy’s footsteps
Sta Rita Hills is a small American Viticultural Area, or AVA (a specific vineyard area similar to the French appellation protégée), located at the western edge of Santa Barbara County on California’s Central Coast. In recent years, along with Santa Maria Valley and Ballard Canyon AVAs, it has emerged as one of the most important winegrowing area of Santa Barbara – and arguably the best for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Sta Rita Hills (Santa Rita Hills became Sta Rita Hills in 2006 to avoid confusion with Chilean wine brand Viña Santa Rita) is a sub-AVA of the greater Santa Ynez Valley AVA, located in the western edge of Santa Ynez, with the city of Lompoc – the heart of the Sta Rita Hills winegrowing community and home of the popular Lompoc Wine Trail – at its western end.
The vineyards of Sta Rita Hills are planted along a roughly 10-mile valley between Purisima Hills, to the north, and the Santa Rosa Hills to the south. The valley’s transverse position, running east to west, is unusual, enabling cooling ocean-derived morning fog to travel inland and settle over the vines. Its funnel action also brings refreshing afternoon breezes that keep the vines cool, reducing humidity and, therefore, disease pressure.
Sta Rita Hills shows a notable distinction between its western and eastern sections, particularly in soil composition and climate. The western portion, closer to the Pacific Ocean, experiences the coolest temperatures and highest wind exposure, which results in the lowest average degree days. Here, the vineyards are rooted in poor, chalky, marine-bed sedimentary soils dominated by diatomaceous earth and calcareous shales.
Moving eastward, the climate becomes warmer as the maritime influence diminishes. The average temperature increases, significantly raising the total degree days, which affects grape ripening, concentration, and acidity. Correspondingly, the soils shift towards sandier, more loamy compositions. Together, these sections combine to create what has come to be recognised as one of the world’s pre-eminent cool-climate wine terroirs.
Cool-climate perfection
Refreshing ocean breezes and bright, sunny days confer on Sta Rita Hills a long, steady growing season. Combined with the heat spikes that occur just before harvest, this favours the production of cool-climate grape varieties.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make up the vast majority of the region’s 1,250ha of vineyards. These are followed in importance by Syrah and, in turn, more than a dozen other cool-climate varieties, both red and white.
Allowing for nuanced differences related to soil type, exposition, clone type and geographic position (warmer inland; cooler towards the coast), Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noirs offer a concentration that is perhaps unique in California. They tend to be deep, dark and spicy, with a fine balance of structure and silkiness, combined with a defining backbone of acidity.
Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay are some of the most prized in California. They offer layered complexity and Chablis-like acidity, particularly those made from fruit grown around the town of Lompoc and towards the coastal edge – in short, those bearing the strongest influence of the Pacific Ocean.
While not enjoying the same high profile as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, Sta Rita Hills is considered a prime terroir for cool-climate Syrah, the best examples suggesting a Hermitage-like profundity.
There is optimism, too, for Grenache, with its capacity to produce Pinot Noir-like reds with bright berry and earthy character; and Gamay with the promise of fine structure and aromatic purity. Among whites, Sta Rita Hills Viognier typically displays a combination of intense aromatics and acidic verve; while Grüner Veltliner also offers potential for its complex, high-acid profile.
Go to the source
The Sta Rita Hills region comprises about 60 distinct vineyards and more than 50 wineries. Some of the most celebrated wineries make their wines from estate-grown fruit; however some of the region’s most finest wines use purchased fruit from established vineyards.
As well as the original Sandford & Benedict vineyard, look out for wines made from La Rinconada (planted by Richard Sanford), Melville, Radian, Bentrock, Radian, Sea Smoke, Clos Pepe and Fiddlestix vineyards.
The styles of wine these vineyards produce hinges on winemaker style, proximity to the ocean and soil type. The sandy soils of the central and northern vineyards of Sta Rita Hills (eg, Melville) tend to produce soft, fruity and more opulent Pinot Noir; those planted on the more silica-rich diatomaceous earth in the south and west may be more tensile and structured. Westerly vineyards such as Radian and Bentrock, are known for producing Chardonnay with pronounced tension, incisive acidity and a strong mineral streak.
From humble beginnings, Sta Rita Hills now appears to be on an unstoppable rise to be considered among the world’s pre-eminent cool-climate terroirs. What’s more, now with mature vintages to refer to, the region’s winemakers no longer feel such a strong need to maintain Burgundy as a reference point for quality. This will only help to further individualise this unique AVA as it pursues its goal of producing some of the world’s finest wines.
Sta Rita Hills producers on Hedonism Wines:
Sandford & Benedict
Mail Road
Sandhi