# Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir (2022)

- **Producer:** Tatomer
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €60
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, strawberry, plum, violet, rose, black pepper, vanilla, cloves, cedar, forest floor, wet leaves

## About this wine

Graham Tatomer founded his eponymous winery in 2008 after working in Austria with the legendary Emmerich Knoll. While highly celebrated for his bone-dry Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, Tatomer also crafts exceptional Pinot Noir from iconic cool-climate sites. The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, planted in 1971, is the historic birthplace of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Its fractured shale and chert soils, combined with intense maritime winds, yield Pinot Noir of incredible tension, depth, and mineral drive.

## Interesting facts

- Sanford & Benedict is the oldest vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, originally planted in 1971.
- Winemaker Graham Tatomer spent years in Austria training under legendary producer Emmerich Knoll.
- Tatomer is highly celebrated for dry Riesling, bringing a unique white-wine-maker's precision to Pinot Noir.

## Food pairing

The high acidity and moderate tannins of this cool-climate Pinot Noir make it exceptionally food-friendly. It cuts through the richness of fatty fish like salmon and duck, while its earthy undertones beautifully mirror forest-floor elements like mushrooms and truffles.

## Wine making process

Tatomer utilizes minimal intervention to let the historic Sanford & Benedict vineyard speak. The fruit is hand-harvested and fermented using a portion of whole clusters to add structural complexity and herbal nuance. Fermentation is carried out by native yeasts. The wine is aged in neutral French oak barrels to preserve the pristine primary fruit and mineral character, avoiding heavy new oak influence.