Sanford 2016 Pinot Noir Block 6 Single Block Estate Grown Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Sta Rita Hills California 750ml

The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is not simply a great California Pinot Noir site — it is the site that started everything. Planted in 1971 by Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict in the transverse mountain valley that would become the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, it was the first vineyard to demonstrate that the cool, wind-scoured corridor between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean could produce Pinot Noir of genuine Burgundian seriousness. Every premium producer working the Sta. Rita Hills today owes a debt to what Sanford and Benedict planted on that land over five decades ago.

Block 6 is the single-block expression that isolates one specific section of that legendary vineyard — a steep, distinct parcel of Clone 667 cuttings on the north-facing slope — and bottles it on its own terms, without blending or compromise. This is the Block 6 from one of the finest Pinot Noir vintages California's Central Coast has produced in a generation. The 2016 growing season delivered an ideal combination of warm days, cool nights, and well-timed rainfall — producing wines of exceptional concentration and structural elegance that are already drinking beautifully but carry significant further cellar potential.

The result is a wine of deep, complex character: black cherry, boysenberry, and warm pie crust on the nose, moving to a palate of lively peppery acidity, pure red fruit intensity, and the distinctive turned-loam earthiness that is the vineyard's most recognizable terroir signature. This is California Pinot Noir at its most historically grounded and most genuinely site-expressive. A bottle that belongs in any serious California wine collection.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard holds a place in California wine history that few properties can match. When Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict planted their vines in 1971 in what was then considered an improbably cool, windswept site in the western Santa Ynez Valley, they were acting on a conviction that the Pacific-influenced climate — cold nights, persistent afternoon winds funneled through the transverse mountains — was ideally suited to Burgundian varieties. The subsequent decades proved them unequivocally right: the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, formally established in 2001, now houses some of California's most sought-after Pinot Noir, and the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard remains its founding property.

Today Sanford Winery farms the estate as a certified sustainable operation. The Block 6 parcel is a steep, north-facing section planted to Clone 667 — a Pinot Noir clone prized for its deep color, concentrated dark fruit, and structural density — which produces wines of notable richness and textural complexity compared to other blocks on the property. Winemaking at Sanford follows a minimal-intervention philosophy designed to preserve the vineyard's natural character: hand harvesting, careful sorting, and barrel aging in French oak with restrained new oak usage to allow the terroir to remain the dominant voice. The 2016 vintage benefits from near-ideal growing conditions on the Central Coast, with even ripening across the season producing fruit of exceptional balance and concentration.

The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard's status as the oldest planted vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA — its vine age now exceeding 50 years — contributes a depth of root development, reduced yields, and flavor concentration that younger sites simply cannot replicate. Block 6 is the purest expression of what that half-century of growth in this specific terroir produces.

Critics Reviews

Wine Enthusiast awarded Sanford's 2016 Founders' Vines Single Block from Sanford & Benedict 94 points, and awarded the 2016 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Estate Grown Chardonnay 94 points — establishing the 2016 vintage as one of exceptional quality across the entire estate. Wine Advocate awarded the 2016 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir 91 points, noting its juicy acidity, macerated strawberry, dark cherry, and loamy earth character. Wine-Searcher's aggregated critic score across Block 6 vintages tracks consistently between 91 and 96 points across recent releases, confirming the bottling's standing as one of the most consistently scored single-block Pinot Noirs in the Sta. Rita Hills. No numeric score specific to the 2016 Block 6 bottling is available from a single major publication at this time.

Tasting Profile

Nose Immediately expressive and beautifully complex. Clean aromas of dark black cherry and boysenberry pie lead — ripe, concentrated, and inviting — with a warm pie crust quality adding a baked, pastry-like richness. Beneath the dark fruit, the vineyard's signature turned-loam earthiness emerges: forest floor, wild sage, and a whisper of dried herbs that root the whole in the Sta. Rita Hills terroir. Cranberry and pomegranate add brighter red fruit lift alongside the darker notes, and delicate dried florals — potpourri, lavender, violets — thread through the whole with the elegance that Clone 667 consistently delivers. A touch of star anise and baking spice complete an aromatic picture of genuine complexity.

Palate Focused, textured, and built for the long term. The entry is all pure red and dark fruit — cranberry, red cherry, and black raspberry — carried on a lively, peppery acidity that is the Sta. Rita Hills' most distinctive signature. The palate develops with real density as it opens: layers of spice, dried herbs, bay leaf, and the vineyard's characteristic dusty berry intensity weaving through a mid-palate of creamy texture and balanced oak. Fine-grained tannins provide structural integrity without grip — present but refined, building slowly and promising considerable further development in bottle. The peppery acidity keeps everything fresh and focused throughout.

Finish Long, elegant, and gently drying. Vanilla, oak spice, and pure red fruit fade gradually together, with a final note of earth, dried herbs, and the vineyard's mineral terroir character persisting well past the swallow. The finish is long and lovely — and a reliable indicator of this wine's cellar potential.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Best served at 60–62°F in a large Burgundy bowl that allows the aromatic complexity to fully open. Decanting 30–45 minutes will soften the tannins and deepen the fruit and earth character considerably. An exceptional food wine: naturally suited to duck confit, roasted lamb, wild mushroom risotto, grilled salmon, earthy Pinot Noir-friendly cheeses such as Époisses or aged Gruyère, and herb-roasted chicken. A serious cellar candidate — the structural density of the 2016 vintage and the vine age of Block 6 suggest rewarding development through 2028–2032. An outstanding gifting wine for serious California wine collectors, Burgundy enthusiasts exploring the New World, and anyone who appreciates the historical significance of the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard's place in American wine history.