2018 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Clone 943 Pinot Noir

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard’s Testarossa first vintage from this outstanding vineyard was in 2004 when it was still under the guidance of famed Richard Sanford, pioneer of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. In 2007 the Terlato family took ownership of the vineyard, making it one of several of their grape-growing properties. This beautiful vineyard sits at just about 400 feet in elevation with a northern exposure, just southeast of Lompoc. The soil consists of well-drained gravelly loam mixed with clay and fragmented chert. The area is situated near an unusual valley perpendicular to the coast that allows funneled winds between the mountains and the sea that is ideal for growing cool-climate varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

This rare bottling of the single 943 clone is part of our "Testarossa Works" program,  where small lots of experimental wines are made available to Testarossa club members and customers. We also produced limited runs of single clones 2A and 848 from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard.

The 943 Pinot Noir clone came to the US by way of the University of Dijon. It is very dark and extracted, with tiny berries; many of which do not have seeds, giving way to its high skin to juice ratio. This selection offers gamey, roasted, spicy, and dark fruit profiles, whose texture is well balanced with tannin and acidity. It provides a near-complete and balanced clone in and of itself. 

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Production Data

Soil: Santa Lucia shaly clay loam and Botella clay loam with fragmented chert