2022 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard
Fabulous, wild, dramatic, extreme, otherworldly. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind when we think of Radian. The landscape is stark, steep, scraggly and covered in poison oak and chapparal. The steep slopes are battered daily by cold, salty, high winds, and the soils are parched dry and silty, with diatomaceous earth outcroppings and thin layers of sandy and clay topsoils that cling to the ground against the onslaught of the mighty Pacific.
Yields are frightfully low here, as tiny clusters dangle precariously within the small canopies. The small clusters though are immensely flavorful and full of complex savory, spice, and marine notes. We love the wines from here, a product of great vision and dedication by Matt Dees, Ruben Solarzano and the vineyard team there.
In 2022, the Radian grapes were harvested after the heat wave; in the cooler location the grapes had not been that close to ripeness. There was some dehydration and vine stress, but with proper field sorting by us, the grapes that made it to the winery were in excellent shape. The 2022 Radian was fermented on native yeasts, and the wine then aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak cooperage (40% new) before bottling without fining or filtration.
The 2022 Radian Pinot Noir is complex, with a dark red fruit profile (some black cherries and red plums, with raspberry liqueur, pomegranate), along with spices, and herbs (a distinct chapparal note) and the usual saline character from the ocean. The wine is graceful due to citrus and mineral laced acidity. It is a worthy successor to the 2021, which was lauded as a “wonderful wine” and given 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck, and 95 from Wine Advocate and Antonio Galloni as well.
Very Limited. Only 500 cases produced, most of which will go to the Wine Club in October 2024. We have a small portion available for sale now. We suggest you get yours very soon or risk missing out.
2022 Pinot Noir, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
Historic Sanford & Benedict is the original Pinot Noir vineyard (est. 1971) in the Santa Ynez Valley (Sta. Rita Hills was not established until 2001). We purchase fruit here from two distinct blocks of older vines (1999) and oldest vines (1972), buying by the acre so we may employ specialized pruning and organic farming practices. These stately vines stand tall on their enormous trunks, while still producing a solid crop of beautifully concentrated grapes. The resulting wines display sappy red and black cherry fruits with old-vine style and grace.
The 2022 wine showcases the old vine elegance of S&B. The vineyard, with its thick trunks and deep roots, heroically withstood the massive 7-day heat dome of Labor Day 2022, with only minor effect. The wine maintains its typical smooth red fruited character, with perhaps a little more fruit in 2022, but with perfectly balanced acidity. This wine is a worthy successor to the 2021, which received 96 points from Antonio Galloni who called the wine “gorgeous,” “beguiling” and “a wine of dimension and intensity.“
Extremely Limited. Only 350 cases produced.
2022 Pinot Noir, Bentrock Vineyard
Bentrock is the sister vineyard to Radian at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills. We select grapes from several distinct blocks (two north facing, one south facing, one east facing) at elevations ranging from 375-525 feet above sea level. The wines from here display intense red fruits, gentle baking spices, herbs, and marine influenced minerals. Farming is Certified Sustainable (SIP) without herbicides.
In 2022, only the south and east facing blocks were ready at the time of the heat dome. The two north facing blocks were picked a full 2 weeks later. In all cases, we dropped damaged fruit before harvest and carefully sorted at harvest, such that only pristine fruit made it to the winery. Despite the heat event the season was actually cool and acidities were again excellent. The wine was fermented with 20% whole clusters, and aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak barrels (25% new). The wine shows fresh, lifted, energetic red fruits, some baking spices and savory herb notes, good depth, and a wonderful silky texture in a medium bodied frame. Though the 2022 is not yet rated, the 2021 version earned 97 points from Galloni. We think this is a very versatile wine, and it could pair with anything (roast poultry, grilled meats, cheese, mushrooms, etc.)
Extremely Limited. Only 200 cases produced.
2022 Pinot Noir, Duvarita Vineyard
Duvarita Vineyard, just west of the Santa Rita Hills appellation, lies on south-facing slopes of almost pure sand. The grapes here are farmed biodynamically, without tilling and with sheep for weed management. Owner Brook Williams is fanatically motivated to limit inputs, and the vineyard is extremely low yielding. The small clusters here give wines that are lean and elegant, with terrific intensity, minerality and a remarkable depth of flavor even at lower alcohol levels.
2022 was another low yielding year at Duvarita, the maximum yield being 1.15 tons per acre, but it was better than 2021 in terms of vine heath and production. Being south facing and early ripening, we picked the Duvarita blocks (with one exception) well before the heat dome arrived. The very small crop we did harvest had remarkably good acidity and concentration. The wine was aged on its lees for 16 months in French oak barrels (30% new). Not yet rated, but the 2021 version was 94+, 95 and 96 points by Dunnuck, Wine Advocate and Galloni, respectively.
Extremely Limited. Only 170 cases produced.
2022 Pinot Noir, Collaboration (tasting room and wine club only)
Now in its fourth iteration, this wine was created in “Collaboration” with our Staff. The final blend of six barrels was crafted from more than a dozen barrels from several vineyards. Ultimately, the favorite blend contained wines that were 50% Bentrock Vineyard, 35% Radian Vineyard and 15% Duvarita. The final blend is made from mostly (95%) destemmed fruit from 100% neutral barrels. No egos were harmed in the making of this wine.
We think the 2022 Collaboration shows exuberance, finesse and a joyous personality, with plenty of red fruit (raspberries, pomegranate) goodness, lifted by fresh acidity and some intriguing spices, with a hint of salinity.
The Staff enjoys selling it at the Tasting Room ONLY. Ask to try it when you are in town, and we are sure you will want to take some home. Wine Club members can call or email us if you want to have some shipped out to you.
Extremely Limited, only 150 cases produced.
2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
The great Happy Canyon blend has returned. The 2022 sold out long ago and we have been anxiously awaiting this wine in the Tasting Room and around town at top restaurants. A product of all four Sauvignon Blanc vineyards, this wine shows the true excellence of the Happy Canyon appellation; beautiful ripeness and dramatic fruit flavors held aloft by fabulous acidity and minerality and only a hint of the herbaceousness for which Sauvignon Blanc is (in)famous.
As always, top notch, per acre farming is the key here, as we prune and shoot thin for drastically lower yields than in the case of the conventional SB farming protocols. Concentration is dramatically more intense with this style of farming. For the Happy Canyon, we then choose lots that have a more energetic, taut, and lively character, along with the depth and concentration that these fabulous vineyards provide. The wine ages for a total of 7 months on the lees, before it is blended, cold stabilized with a light fining (plant and soil-based fining agents) and gently cross-flow filtered before bottling. The wine pairs with a tremendous variety of foods with weight and interest lifted by great structure and acidity.
The 2023 version of the Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc is 40% Grassini, 37% Vogelzang, 18% Grimm’s Bluff and 5% Two Wolves. The wine was aged in 72% neutral oak barrels and 28% stainless steel, with 85% Clone 1 and 15% musque. The wine is delicious out of the gate showing mixed tropical fruits, crisp citrus-laced acidity, minerals and a touch of fresh herbs.
The 2023 wine has not yet been rated, but the 2022 was widely loved by critics (92 Dunnuck, 91 Galloni).
As always, this wine is Very Limited. It has historically surprised us how fast it sells out. Also, it is ageable over the 2-9 year time frame, and even longer if you enjoy the nuttiness of aged whites. Highly recommended for this summer and many summers in the future.
2023 Rosé, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
76% Grenache, 16% Mourvèdre, 8% Graciano
60% Vogelzang Vineyard, 40% Two Wolves Vineyard
13.3% ABV
Good ole Rosé. Sure, it became popular. Then the USA became overrun with Rosés from all over the world (some with impossibly cheap prices from export subsidies). Then the youngsters and urbanites started looking for hip, cloudy, so-called natural wines. We soldier on nonetheless! There is no better wine for summer with its warm days and lighter foods and hanging around outdoors.
This Rosé comes from fabulous vineyards, is farmed organically, is made simply but precisely in the same manner as always. The wine is freshness and sunshine in a bottle. Enjoy!
In Conclusion
Please enjoy these wines in health and happiness, with family and friends, with great meals or without, and let us know how they made you feel. We love to hear from you! And come visit us in Los Olivos or Buellton. The green hills, blue skies, sunshine and cooling breezes are a great backdrop for tasting the terrific wines of Santa Barbara.
As our long-time fans know, the concept of terroir is central to our wine program across the board. We have selected some of the most outstanding sites anywhere in the world for Chardonnay. Radian, Bentrock and Rita’s Crown have for years now established themselves as grand cru-type locations. Sanford & Benedict enjoys a stellar reputation, and we have finally seen it in action in 2024. Fiddlestix recently joined the Chardonnay game, as grafting began in 2022 and first harvest in 2024. We are finding the results extremely encouraging! We have additional diverse sites in the sandy soils of 10Ninths and Duvarita. 2024 only reaffirmed our excitement for Chardonnay in the SRH!
This wine is a blend of top sites, including Sanford & Benedict (55%), Fiddlestix (25%), 10Ninths (formerly Hilliard Bruce) (10%) and our old friend Duvarita (10%). The wine was fermented by native years and then aged 15 months on its lees in French oak barrels, 12% of which was new. Malolactic fermentation occurred spontaneously, although the wine retained excellent acidity, finishing at 3.45 pH with 6.0 g/l TA.
Bentrock is located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills. Slightly lower in elevation than Radian, and slightly warmer, the vineyard features clay and chert in its rocky, north-facing Chardonnay blocks. The Chardonnay here is truly exceptional, among the best anywhere, with mighty fruit components balanced by dramatic, powerful acidity. It is the best of both worlds and it has been the backbone of the Black Label program.
Radian vineyard is located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills on steep slopes with large amounts of diatomaceous earth. The vineyard is a testament to vision, courage and perseverance as it is regularly blanketed by fog and buffeted by high, often gale force winds. The Chardonnay vines here struggle to set fruit, and the resulting grapes are extremely low yielding, with thick skins, highly concentrated flavors and relatively low sugars. The resulting wines are lean and intense, with a powerful sense of minerals, incisive acidity, and tremendous length.
Rita’s Crown sits majestically at some of the highest elevations in the Sta. Rita Hills (up to 850 feet). Our blocks (16 and 17) are located on very steep south and southwest facing hillsides of clay and silty clay loam with abundant diatomaceous earth. The mighty Pacific sends daily fog and intense afternoon winds to this high elevation site, which is perched over the Santa Ynez River as it meanders toward its terminus at Surf Beach.
A little darker than past versions, the 2025 Rosé is a blend of 84% Grenache and 16% Mourvèdre from Vogelzang (80%) and Two Wolves (20%) vineyards, each of which was farmed specifically for Rosé. The wine was whole cluster pressed for purity and brightness, and the resulting juice was fermented and aged on its lees for 5 months in neutral barrels (228L & 500L) before bottling. The wine delivers powerful but expressively bright red fruits (strawberries, raspberries) to the nose, and those fruits follow boldly though to the palate along with watermelon jolly rancher and citrus peel before finishing with bright acidity. A fabulous aperitif, the wine also has the stuffing to pair well with flavorful (even spicy) fare. We recommend it near swimming pools, at beaches (where legal) and next to outdoor grills, where it should delight family and friends, old and new.
This dramatic, organically farmed, hillside site on the border of the Sta. Rita Hills is one of the coolest sites planted to Rhône varietals in all of California. Grenache grows on a steep, south-east facing hillside of almost pure sand on the eastern edge of the block and slightly heavier sandy clay loam toward the west and at the bottom of the block. The block is typically picked very late but at relatively low sugar levels for Grenache. These grapes produce a cool, energetic, mineral-laden wine with juicy, high toned, aromatic red fruits, fresh herbs, and good structure for aging. Syrah from JSV is darker toned with black and blue fruits, adding spice and structure to the blend.
The Black Label program was forged from a single barrel of 2010 Pinot Noir (One barrel of La Encantada, Block 12N in a Francois Freres, medium plus toast barrel) that simply insisted that we create a cuvee of our most expressive Pinot Noirs from our favorite vineyards. We describe the selection process as looking for the most dramatic, most “wow” barrels, where the vineyard signature is present, but an extra layer of intensity and pop elevates the experience. Past Black Label wines have been critically acclaimed, including a 100 point score with the 2019 and plenty of other 98s and 97s.
Good old Fiddlestix. Long one of our most popular wines, we have made this wine since 2008. Located in the goldilocks zone of the Sta. Rita Hills, it receives just the right amount of sunshine and warmth to ripen Pinot Noir perfectly.
Fabulous, wild, dramatic, extreme, otherworldly. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind when we think of Radian. The landscape is stark, steep, scraggly and covered in poison oak and chapparal. The steep slopes are battered daily by cold, salty, high winds, and the soils are parched dry and silty, with diatomaceous earth outcroppings and thin layers of sandy and clay topsoils that cling to the ground against the onslaught of the mighty Pacific.
Bentrock is the sister vineyard to Radian at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills. Slightly lower in elevation and semi-protected from the Pacific Ocean gales that strike Radian head on, Bentrock ripens a tad earlier than Radian, with wines more in the middle register compared to the animale that is Radian. Nonetheless, the wines are distinctive for their saltiness, and red fruited verve. We select grapes from several distinct blocks (two north facing, one south facing, one east facing) at elevations ranging from 375-525 feet above sea level.
Historic Sanford & Benedict is the original Pinot Noir vineyard (est. 1971) in the Santa Ynez Valley (Sta. Rita Hills was not established until 2001). We purchase fruit here from two distinct blocks of older vines (1999) and oldest vines (1972), buying by the acre so we may employ specialized pruning and organic farming practices. These stately vines stand tall on their enormous trunks, while still producing a solid crop of beautifully concentrated grapes. The resulting wines display sappy red and black cherry fruits with old-vine style and grace.
The idea for Collaboration started 5 years ago, when our long time Tasting Room and Sales staff asked if they could get a closer look into winemaking and blending. We thought it was a good idea, and after a year of elevage, we selected a dozen barrels for them to select a “tasting room only” wine they could claim ownership over. The idea stuck, and this is now the 5th wine they have selected.
Rita’s Crown sits majestically at some of the highest elevations in the Sta. Rita Hills (up to 850 feet). It has been expertly farmed (certified organic, with some biodynamic principles) for several years by the exacting Sea Smoke team. Our blocks are located on very steep, south and southwest facing hillsides of clay and silty clay loam with abundant diatomaceous earth. The mighty pacific sends daily fog and intense afternoon winds to this high elevation site, which is perched over the Santa Ynez River as it meanders toward its terminus at Surf Beach.
Radian vineyard is located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills on dramatically steep slopes with large amounts of diatomaceous earth. Lovingly farmed by the team at the Hilt/Jonata led by Matt Dees and the grape whisperer himself, Ruben Solarzano, the vineyard is a testament to vision, courage and perseverence. Radian is wild & wooly, regularly blanketed by fog and buffeted by high, often gale force winds. The Chardonnay vines here struggle to set fruit, and the resulting grapes are extremely low yielding, with thick skins, highly concentrated flavors and relatively low sugars. The resulting wines are lean and intense, with a powerful sense of minerals, incisive acidity, and tremendous length.
Bentrock Vineyard is the sister vineyard to Radian, located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills. Slightly lower in elevation than Radian, and a little warmer from slightly less wind, the vineyard features clay and chert in its rocky, north facing Chardonnay blocks. The Chardonnay here is truly exceptional, among the best anywhere, with mighty fruit components balanced by dramatic, powerful acidity. It is the best of both worlds and it has been the backbone of the Black Label program for years.
This wine is a blend of our most dramatic and powerful Chardonnay barrels from the vintage. In 2023, the Black Label is comprised of grapes from three of the most extreme, wind-battered, sites in Sta. Rita Hills (or anywhere for that matter): rocky, windswept Bentrock (50%), salty, windy Radian (33%) and steep, diatomaceous Rita’s Crown (17%). These difficult sites produce small clusters of thick skinned, tiny berry Chardonnay that has massive concentration, but also very high acids and a resounding mineral streak. The 2023 wine was fermented and aged on its lees in French oak barriques (83% new) with malolactic fermentation occurring spontaneously in barrel, and a finished pH of 3.34, with a TA of 6.8 g/L. The intensity of the wine marries perfectly with the very high quality, 30+ month air dried, medium long toasted flagship barrels from such renowned coopers as Rousseau, Damy & Seguin Moreau. The resulting wine is aged for 18 months on its lees without stirring, before selection, blending and bottling.
A blend of 80% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre from Vogelzang (80%) and Two Wolves (20%), the wine was fermented and aged on its lees for 5 months in 80% neutral barrels (228L, 400L, 500L) and 20% stainless steel. The wine shows expressive bright red fruits, (strawberries & raspberries) along with watermelon jolly rancher, citrus peel and super bright acidity. The wine will pair beautifully with warm spring and summer months, all sorts of appetizers and lighter main dishes, and it will undoubtedly bring lots of smiles.
2023 was an excellent year in Happy Canyon. A big rain year was followed by a cool spring and summer without serious heat spikes. We picked in early to mid-September under ideal conditions and with fairly good yields as well. As is typical for Grassini, the wine was barrel fermented and then topped up and aged on its lees for 15 months in 100% French oak (228L, 300L), 8 percent new. 
Grimm’s was excellent in 2023, with good rain allowing for solid growth and yields on the lower side (but better than prior years). Grapes were picked early September and fermented and aged in 80% French oak (18% new) (276L cigars, 228L barriques) and 20% Stainless Steel. 
After a hiatus in 2022, we are back to making a SRH blend of Chardonnays. If 2023 was cool for Sauvignon Blanc in Happy Canyon, it was downright cold in the Sta Rita Hills, with our Chardonnays being picked into the middle of October. This wine is blended from 55% 10Ninths Vineyard (formerly Hilliard-Bruce), 30% Rita’s Crown and 15% Radian Vineyard. The wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels (15% new) for 15 months before bottling.
A longtime favorite, the 2023 SRH Pinot Noir combines wines from a “who’s who” of the most famous vineyards in our region. This wine comes from: Fiddlestix (42%), Radian (15%), La Rinconada (15%), Bentrock (8%), 10ninths (7%), Sanford & Benedict (5%), Spear (5%), and Rancho La Vina (3%). The very cool 2023 produced a superb SRH blend with grapes being picked over a remarkable 5-week period from Early September to Mid-October. Temperatures throughout the late summer and early Fall were moderate, and ripeness gained gradually until the last lots could be picked at Radian on October 12. 
The Black Label program was forged from a single barrel in 2010 that simply insisted that we create a cuvee of our most expressive Pinot Noirs from our favorite vineyards. Since then, this wine has gone on to become a Club favorite and to garner consistently high critical praise and even a 100 point score (from Jeb Dunnuck on 2019 version). We think the 2022 follows nicely in the footsteps of the past successes.
Our longest tenured single vineyard wine, the single vineyard Fiddlestix was first made in 2008 (though we bought grapes back in 2006 here as well). This venerable vineyard was planted by pioneering winemaker Kathy Joseph in 1998. Since then, it has gone on to become a stalwart member of the Sta Rita Hills appellation. Across the road from Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada and just below Sea Smoke and Rita’s Crown, Fiddlestix forms an integral part of the “goldilocks zone”, just close enough to the ocean to be cooled by wind and fog, but far enough away to obtain sunshine and warmth from the abundant sunshine. Kathy sold the vineyard after the 2021 harvest, to a fantastic ownership group, and we have been able to retain (and in some cases expand) our holdings in various blocks. The future looks bright here.
Stolpman is one of the great sites in all of Santa Barbara County. Located on rolling hills of clay loam overlaying limestone in the heart of Ballard Canyon, Stolpman is a Rhone variety wonderland. Over the years, we have purchased Syrah here from at least five distinctive blocks, from 20-year-old high density blocks to 30-year-old original plantings. The grapes have formed the backbone of our MJM. In 2022, however, we found that the extreme quality and singularity of the wines required us to make this a single vineyard wine.
This dramatic, organically farmed, hillside site on the border of the Sta. Rita Hills is one of the coolest sites planted to Rhône varietals in all of California. Grenache grows on a steep, south-east facing hillside of almost pure sand on the eastern edge of the block and slightly heavier sandy clay loam toward the west and at the bottom of the block. The block is typically picked very late but at relatively low sugar levels for Grenache. These grapes produce a cool, energetic, mineral-laden wine with juicy, high toned, aromatic red fruits, fresh herbs, and good structure for aging. Syrah from JSV is darker toned with black and blue fruits, adding spice and structure to the blend.
Rita’s Crown sits majestically at some of the highest elevations in the Sta. Rita Hills (up to 850 feet). It has been expertly farmed (certified organic, with some biodynamic principles) for several years by the exacting Sea Smoke team, led by our old friend Julian Malone. Our blocks are located on very steep, south and southwest facing hillsides of clay and silty clay loam with abundant diatomaceous earth. The mighty pacific sends daily fog and intense afternoon winds to this high elevation site, which is perched over the Santa Ynez River as it meanders toward its terminus at Surf Beach.
Radian vineyard is located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills on dramatically steep slopes with large amounts of diatomaceous earth. Lovingly farmed by the team at the Hilt/Jonata led by Matt Dees and the grape wisperer himself, Ruben Solarzano, the vineyard is a testatment to vision, courage and perserverence. Radian is wild & wooly, regularly blanketed by fog and buffeted by high, often gale force winds. The Chardonnay vines here struggle to set fruit, and the resulting grapes extremely low yielding, with thick skins, highly concentrated flavors and relatively low sugars. The resulting wines are lean and intense, with a powerful sense of minerals, incisive acidity, and tremendous length.
This wine is a reserve-level blend of our favorite barrels from the vintage. In 2022, the Black Label is comprised of grapes from three of the most extreme, wind-battered, sites in Sta Rita Hills (or anywhere for that matter): rocky, windswept Bentrock (50%), salty, windy Radian (33%) and steep, diatomaceous Rita’s Crown (17%). These difficult sites produce small clusters of thick skinned, tiny berry Chardonnay that has massive concentration, but also very high acids and a resounding mineral streak. The 2022 wine was fermented and aged on its lees in French oak barriques (83% new) with malolactic fermentation occurring spontaneously in barrel, and a finished pH of 3.36, with a TA of 6.0 g/L. The intensity of the wine marries perfectly with the very high quality, 30+ month air dried, medium long toasted flagship barrels from such renowned coopers as Rousseau, Damy & Seguin Moreau. The resulting wine is aged for 18 months on its lees without stirring, before selection, blending and bottling.