One of the subdistricts of Santa Barbara wine country, the Santa Rita Hills AVA, is becoming one of the most exciting sources outside of France for world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The appellation’s combination of cool climate, intense fog, great clonal material and unique soils is attracting winemaking talent from all over the world. We are pleased to offer you a selection from our noteworthy producers in the Santa Rita Hills AVA, all of whom are focused on producing high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from extreme and historic old-vine vineyard sites throughout the Santa Rita Hills.

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LIQUID FARM

The project of Jeff Nelson and winemaker James Sparks, Liquid Farm began in 2009 with the production of just four barrels of wine. Prior to starting Liquid Farm, Jeff spent many years in wine trade sales with many of the top Champagne and Burgundy houses. With a developed palate for old world wines, his mission was to make wines that reflect the old world style whilst embracing the local Santa Barbara viticulture and climate. The wines are made with minimal intervention, little to no new oak and no additives or machines to manipulate the final product.

2019 ‘Four’ Chardonnay
£732.00 IB • 12x75cl

Four is a selection of the most compelling Chardonnay barrels from Rita’s Crown, La Rinconada, Spear and Bentrock vineyards, a pretty remarkable collection of vineyard sites by any measure. The wine is slightly rich and round with subtle notes of brioche, lemon peel, hazelnut and saline along with pronounced rocky minerality. The balancing acidity from the cooler climate of the Santa Rita Hills lends incredible freshness and vibrance.

2019 Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir
£600.00 IB • 12x75cl

This vineyard is located at the extreme western end of the Sta. Rita Hills and is one of the coolest vineyards in the region with its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. A low yielding site with its steep and wind-swept slopes, it’s also loaded with diatomaceous earth and sedimentary soils which lends to intense minerality in the wines. The nose has a perfume-like bouquet of darker cherry with pomegranate and raspberry along with exotic spices. The palate reveals excellent depth and richness of flavour with a nice savoury note and finishes with length and purity.

RADIAN VINEYARD • LIQUID FARM

CHANIN WINES

Whilst studying art at UCLA, Gavin Chanin began his winemaking career at age 18 as a harvest intern at Au Bon Climat and Qupé. Under the tutelage of famed Santa Barbara winemakers Jim Clendenen and Bob Lindquist, Gavin eventually worked his way up to assistant winemaker at both labels. He launched Chanin Wines in 2007 with a focus on making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from individual vineyard sites in Santa Barbara county. Gavin’s wines come from fruit that represents only a very small section of each vineyard and the vines in each site are old, for the new world. The stunning labels of Chanin Wines are all pieces of Gavin’s own artwork.

2020 Los Alamos Vineyard Chardonnay
£459.00 IB • 12x75cl

Los Alamos Vineyard dates back to the late 1960s and is where Gavin started back in 2007 when he purchased 1 ton of their Chardonnay. The sandy soils, high elevation (900ft) of his blocks, and cool marine influence gives great freshness, bright fruit and complexity. Beautiful notes of salted lemon, panna cotta and honeysuckle with a silky mid palate texture and a focused finish with beaming acidity and freshness.

2020 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
£681.00 IB • 12x75cl

Planted in 1971, Sanford & Benedict is the most storied vineyard Gavin works with and is regarded as one of the top vineyard sites in the USA. Its unique combination of rocky soils and cool climate makes dark and brooding wines that still have elegance and minerality. This wine has a wonderful nose of red and black currants, dried herbs, and bergamot with bright acidity and lingering floral notes on the uplifted finish.

LOS ALAMOS • CHANIN WINES

TYLER WINERY

At the age of 24, Justin Tyler Willett started Tyler winery in 2005 with a few barrels tucked away in the cellar of the winery he was working for at the time. As a staunch advocate of old vines, he’s been working with many of the historic sites in Santa Barbara, including the regiondefining Sanford & Benedict. In recent years, Justin and his wife Amanda purchased a site that is now their own Estate. The Mae Estate vineyard is planted to 28 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah in the heart of the Santa Rita Hills.

2020 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay
£660.00 IB • 12x75cl

These old vines consistently provide a nuance and depth with the vineyard’s signature rocky salinity being carried across the palate and beautifully complemented by the natural richness offered by this site. Subtle hints of matchstick and salty ocean air evolve into baked apples, beeswax and lemon curd; this wine has a ton of energy with beaming acidity and a lengthy finish.

2020 Mae Estate Pinot Noir
£624.00 IB • 12x75cl

In planting Pinot Noir at the Mae Estate, Justin chose the clay-rich ground east and upslope from their Chardonnay and planted the vines at half the density of Burgundy (two meters between rows, one meter between vines) to promote a balanced crop and to cater to their organic cultivation practices. The wine has a beautiful nose of red cherry, cranberry and dried plums with savoury notes of tobacco leaf and mushroom powder. Lively and perfumed with balanced concentration and a long, layered finish.

SANFORD & BENEDICT VINEYARD • TYLER WINERY

MAIL ROAD

Nestled in the epicentre of the Santa Rita Hills AVA and just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, lies the stunningly steep and iconic vineyard of Mt. Carmel. Whilst not just a name, Mail Road is indeed the name of the road that leads you up the hill to this historic vineyard site that sits at an elevation between 800 and 1,000 feet. Planted in 1990, the vineyard’s diatomaceous earth-based soils drain well but offer a meagre existence for the vines, contributing to the intensity and concentration of the wines. Coupled with the proximity to the cool Pacific and the wind and fog that brings, not only are the wines concentrated, they’re brilliantly bright with acidity as well.

2018 Mt. Carmel Chardonnay
£420.00 IB • 6x75cl

The classically defined phenolic intensity of this vineyard site shines through in the wine with richness of fruit yet balancing acidity and chalky, bright minerality. Lively aromas of orchard fruit, lemon confit and marzipan dazzle out of the glass, with a powerfully long and beaming finish.

2017 Mt. Carmel Pinot Noir
£420.00 IB • 6x75cl

The below quote from Antonio Galloni finely defines this stunning wine: “The 2017 Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir is a wine of pure and total sophistication. Aromatically intense, light on its feet and incredibly resonant, the 2017 is simply dazzling. Sweet red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and spice all run through this striking explosive Pinot. I am blown away by the wine’s freshness and extraordinary balance. Wow!”

MT CARMEL • MAIL ROAD