Sanford Winery estate spotlight
CA GROWN films Sanford Winery in Santa Barbara wine country: Sanford & Benedict, La Rinconada, and the marine Sta. Rita Hills. Exact-winery feature, not the Sanford channel.
375ML Half Bottle 2024 Sanford Winery Chardonnay Sta Rita Hills
Estate Chardonnay from the vineyard that proved Santa Barbara could grow Burgundy grapes, in a half bottle at ten dollars.
Richard Sanford planted Sanford & Benedict in 1971 and helped write the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The 2024 estate Chardonnay in 375 ml is lemon blossom, white peach, and toasted almond at $10, 65 percent under the $29 SRP.
65% off the supplied street price
The vineyard that started Sta. Rita Hills, half the bottle
Sanford is not a guest label on someone else's Chardonnay. It is the estate that planted the first Pinot in Santa Barbara County, now pouring 2024 Chardonnay in 375 ml.
The estate
Richard Sanford planted Sanford & Benedict in 1971. The AVA followed. Trey Fletcher makes the wines today under Terlato.
The place
Cool marine air through the Sta. Rita Hills keeps Chardonnay taut: citrus, stone fruit, a creamy mid, not a tropical bomb.
The format
This listing is the 375 ml half bottle of the 2024 estate Chardonnay. Two glasses of a $29 wine at $10.
The buy
$10 a half bottle, $60 for six, $120 for twelve with free shipping. The supplied SRP is $29. No 90-point 2024 lock, so we sell the estate and the price.
What is $10 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay with a $29 SRP actually buying?
$10 versus the $29 SRP supplied for this promotion is 65 percent off. The unit is 375 ml. The slash is still the loudest true fact on the page.
At $10 per 375 ml bottle, the 6-bottle allocation totals $60.
Review Wine-Searcher (opens in a new tab) for listings and Sanford Winery (opens in a new tab) for producer context. The $29 SRP is supplied for this promotion. 2024 critic scores for this exact half bottle were not locked, so none are shown.
Slash price per 375 ml bottle, 65 percent under the supplied $29 SRP.
Lemon blossom, peach, and a creamy line
The current house Chardonnay reads lemon blossom, white peach, toasted almond, then citrus and stone fruit on a creamy, precise frame.
A cool-climate California year in a marine canyon. Chardonnay here is a balance of richness and acid. The 2024 half bottle is built to drink now, not to wait on a 750 in the cellar.
Lemon blossom, white peach, a hint of toasted almond, then citrus and stone fruit. House style, not a tropical California Chardonnay.
Crisp acidity, subtle creamy texture, clean lingering finish. Estate Chardonnay from Sanford's Sta. Rita Hills vineyards.
Precise and long enough for a half bottle. Serve near 48 F. A 375 ml is two glasses. Drink it this year.
Estate Chardonnay, marine hills
Sanford farms La Rinconada and Sanford & Benedict. The Chardonnay is estate fruit, not a coastal blend with a borrowed name.
Estate: Sanford Winery in Lompoc, Sta. Rita Hills. Sanford & Benedict, planted 1971, is the historic heart. La Rinconada is the sister vineyard. Trey Fletcher is winemaker.
Wine: 2024 Chardonnay, 375 ml. House profile is citrus, stone fruit, toasted almond, creamy mid, clean finish. Exact 2024 ABV for this half bottle was not locked, so it is omitted.
Intent: Pair with grilled fish, chicken, and shellfish. The half bottle is how you put a $29 Chardonnay on a Tuesday without opening a 750.
Richard Sanford and the hills that followed
Sta. Rita Hills exists as an AVA because someone planted Pinot and Chardonnay where ranchers said grapes would not ripen.
Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict planted Sanford & Benedict in 1971, the first Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County, in a cool canyon the Pacific still owns at night.
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA came later, drawn around that marine gap. Sanford Winery still farms the original vineyard and La Rinconada. Terlato owns the house. Trey Fletcher makes the wine.
The 2024 Chardonnay in 375 ml is that history in two glasses: estate fruit, lemon and peach, ten dollars against a $29 SRP.
Scallops in brown butter, chicken off the roast
Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay wants sweet shellfish and roast bird, not a heavy cream sauce that hides the acid.
Two plates. One sear of scallops. One roast chicken. Both can take citrus, almond, and a creamy mid.
Chill, then pour near 48 F in a white Burgundy glass. A 375 ml is dinner for two, not a leftover problem.
Seared scallops
Kenji's deep-brown scallops, sweet crust, tender center. Brown butter and lemon for the Chardonnay's citrus and cream.
Why it works: Shellfish is the house pairing. A hard sear and brown butter match toasted almond without burying the acid.
View Recipe for The Best Seared Scallops (opens in a new tab)
Roast chicken
Nagi's roast chicken, lemon, garlic, herbs, pan juices. Poultry fat for the creamy mid, lemon for the finish.
Why it works: Chicken is the other house pairing. Roast skin and citrus keep the 2024 Chardonnay in its lane.
View Recipe for Roast Chicken (opens in a new tab)Pour the half bottle tonight
This is estate Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay at a price that used to buy a coastal blend.
Lemon, peach, almond. 48 F, scallops or roast chicken.
Six halves at $60. A week of two-glass Chardonnay.
Twelve at $120, ships free. Half bottles of a $29 wine do not sit.
Take the 2024 Sanford Chardonnay home in 375 ml while an estate half still costs ten dollars.
