Soil & Vineyard: Botella Clay Loam full of Chert & Shale. From a combination of three parcels throughout the great Sanford & Benedict vineyard. Two of the plantings are from 10-12 year old vines and provide the dark, deep core to this wine. The third piece, from the original plantings of the 1970s, brings elegance and floral lift.

Production & Aging: Native yeast fermentation using 2/3 whole clusters with occasional punching down during 3 week maceration before pressing into barrel. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels before bottling. 40% new oak.

The 2017 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict is sensual, silky and impeccable in its balance. There is lovely nuance in the glass to match the wine's mid-weight, restrained personality. Sweet floral notes and purplish fruit linger in the glass. My impression is that the 2017 is still recovering from its relatively recent bottling. We will see. 92pts. -- Antonio Galloni