The Santa Rita Hills, an appellation within the Santa Barbara County AVA, offers an incredibly distinct soil type and climate that boasts a suitability for Burgundian varietals that only Oregon can rival inside the United States. It all began for the Santa Rita Hills when Richard Sanford, upon returning from Vietnam, teamed up with Michael Benedict for their first spectacular vintage in 1975. A domino effect ensued and the rest is history. The diatomaceous earth, composed of fossilized diatoms from the period when the area was under water, coupled with the cool climate thanks to the terrain’s aspect at the edge of the Pacific fog line coalesce to create a unique sense of place that is unlike any other coastal pocket in all of California.

 

Although Justin Willett’s wines enjoy this unique sense of place, a vast amount of dedication and expert guidance also go into crafting each bottle. Justin’s farming approach is simple but highly attuned; he custom farms each block according to its particular needs. With a focus on varietal and terroir, he strives for minimal movement following harvest, which oftentimes occurs before sunrise. In the cellar, he utilizes native yeasts in fermentation and ages the wine in 20-30% new French oak, which allows the purity of the varietal to speak for itself. Although Justin’s first vintage was only in 2005 following his tenure as assistant winemaker at Arcadian Winery, he has refined his touch each season and has inevitably created a style that is totally unique to Tyler wines. The best expression of this special spot, the 2012 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir, predominantly sourced from the Bentrock vineyard, is not your typical fruit-forward California Pinot; it is a wine of poise, grace and balance of fruit that is, as I have mentioned before, akin to Oregon or Burgundy than the wines typically seen from the state of California.