The Santa Rita Hills looks like many coastal wine regions of California, with its arid hilly farmland and close proximity to the cold Pacific Ocean, yet it produces minerally and fresh wines, both reds and whites. It received an AVA in 2001 (although its official name was changed from Santa Rita Hills AVA to Sta. Rita Hills AVA in 2006), and it’s located about 160 kilometers north of Los Angeles and approximately 40 minutes by car from Santa Barbara. It has gained a reputation for producing outstanding chardonnay and pinot noir wines due to its unique soils and climate, which are heavily influenced by the sea.
Marie and I were recently in Santa Rita Hills, and we visited a half a dozen of the best producers and tasted nearly 80 wines – mostly chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. I was impressed with the minerality, freshness and energy of the wines. It was a small tasting focused on a handful of the top wineries.
“Santa Rita Hills is not a continental climate,” said Sashi Moorman, one of the owners of Domaine de la Cote, along with famous super sommelier Raj Parr. “It’s oceanic and gives us special character.” He said some consumers are surprised by the high acidic and crisp mouthfeel that drives so many of their wines, but that they have a strong following for those who love it.
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While most wine lovers who know the region focus on the Chablis-like chardonnays, the pinots and syrahs are equally compelling. In fact, syrah could be the most impressive in the future with its Hermitage-like purity if more wineries focused on the grape.
Additionally, many outstanding quality wines sell for between $30 and $50, outshining many bottles from Sonoma County and Burgundy or the Rhone Valley.
My top six wines from Santa Rita Hills included the Domaine de la Côte Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills Juliet 2021 (100 points), Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Sous le Chêne 2021 (99), Domaine de la Côte Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills Juliet 2020 (99), Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Ten 2019 (98), The Hilt Estate Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills Radian Vineyard 2020 (98), and The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Radian Vineyard 2020 (98). But there are many other excellent quality wines to seek out.
The Juliet 2021 is the first American chardonnay I have given a perfect score to outside of Napa Valley or Sonoma County. And its unique character is more akin to Burgundy’s grand crus from a cooler vintage. Unfortunately, only 75 cases were made but the bottle is an example of the pinnacle of quality Santa Rita Hills can reach.
“People who know wine are shaking their heads when they taste our wines, particularly those who know Burgundy,” said Brandon Sparks-Gillis of Dragonette Cellars. “It’s the acidity and structure of the wines.”
Added Matt Dees, the head of The Hilt and Jonata, “Our goal is to make the best Santa Barbara County pinot, but we do like to think about Burgundy once in a while!” His chardonnays have fantastic complexity from the combination of minerality, crisp acidity and hints of lees.
Santa Rita Hills is situated between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, which creates a unique microclimate in the region. The cool ocean breezes and foggy mornings provide a perfect environment for growing chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.
They thrive in cooler temperatures and require a longer growing season to develop their full potential. The coastal climate of Santa Rita Hills allows for this extended ripening period most years, resulting in grapes with exceptional flavor complexity and intensity.
The soils in Santa Rita Hills are also special and play a crucial role. The region is dominated by a mixture of marine-based sedimentary soils, which are rich in calcium, and ancient seabed soils high in diatomaceous earth, resembling quartz. These soils are well-draining and low in nutrients, which forces the grapevines to work harder to find the nutrients they need. The stress on the vines leads to smaller grape clusters and berries with more concentrated flavors, resulting in wines with exceptional depth and complexity. The days of strong winds also make the grape skins thicker.
“We have realized that the skins are so thick that you need to be very careful on the extraction and make the wines that need to be done here. It’s cliché to say to be gentle, but we are just that in the winemaking,” said Dees.
Chardonnay is one of the most widely planted grapes in Santa Rita Hills, and it remains the most famous grape there. The wines are typically unoaked or lightly oaked, allowing the natural flavors and characteristics of the grapes to shine through, especially the low pHs and strong acidities.
Santa Rita Hills also produces pinot noir wines with intense fruit flavors, silky tannins and a distinct earthiness. They are equally minerally as the chardonnays and most have special aromas and flavors of spices such as white and place pepper, coriander and clove.
“Santa Barbara is hard to get your head around for wine,” said winemaker Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton. He has been making fantastic wines in the region for almost three decades. “It’s so diverse. It’s complicated. When we mapped the appellation, we put the obvious two horses in the race, pinot and chardonnay. We have been unanimous. Santa Rita hills is chardonnay and pinot.”
Asked what he plans for the next 10 years, Brewer answers: “A lot more of the same, really, for five or 10 years. I have given my whole life to four miles of a road [with vines.]”
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