Founded in 2001 by childhood friends Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts, Arnot-Roberts helped spearhead a quiet revolution in California winemaking. Long before lower alcohol, native fermentations, and early picking became modern industry standard, the duo sought out high-elevation, maritime-influenced heritage vineyards across the state, prioritizing elegance and site expression over heavy oak and extraction. Their work with historic vineyards continues to set the benchmark for low-intervention, site-driven winemaking in California.

In 1971, Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict planted the first wine grapes in what is now the Sta. Rita Hills, proving that cool coastal fog and silica-rich, uplifted seabed soils could produce world-class Chardonnay. Sourced specifically from those original 1971 plantings, this old-vine bottling captures remarkable concentration balanced by laser-like freshness. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral oak, it avoids heavy secondary buttery notes, allowing the vineyard's raw mineral power to shine. In the glass, it opens with vibrant citrus oil, yellow apple, white flowers, and sea-spray salinity, backed by a chiseled, mouthwatering palate that drives into a long, savory finish.

Critical Acclaim:

96 Points, James Suckling: 

“A mineral-driven wine that is dense and concentrated yet elevated, bright and salty. Textural and austere at this young age. Vibrant, with a long finish and citrus-oil bitterness at the end. Medium-bodied. Drink or hold.”

Why You'll Love It

• Historic California Provenance: Sourced from the original 1971 plantings at Sanford & Benedict, the birthplace of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA.

• Pure Mineral Tension: Old-vine depth meets cool-climate maritime soils, delivering intense fruit purity without heavy oak or secondary weight.

• Masterful Low-Intervention Craft: Unfined, unfiltered, and aged strictly in neutral vessels to ensure total transparency of place.

How To Serve It

• Ideal Temperature: Serve slightly chilled at 48°F–52°F in Burgundy stems.

• Decanting: Give it 15–20 minutes in the glass to allow the subtle citrus and marine aromatics to expand.

• Food Pairing: Sensational with seared sea scallops, halibut in lemon-caper butter, roasted chicken, or Dungeness crab.