Tyler Winery
About Tyler Winery
When it comes to American Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Sonoma tends to hog the limelight, leaving readers at risk of overlooking Santa Rita Hills AVA, a region capable of yielding Burgundian-like expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Way back in 1971 when it was still trendy for Californian Chardonnays to be all oaky and buttery, business partners Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict decided that they wanted to produce a more lean and structured / Burgundian expression instead. They found the climate they were looking for in Santa Rita Hills AVA, and were the first to plant the Sanford & Benedict vineyard with Pinot Noir vines. These are now reportedly the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the county!
Since then, other vineyards such as the La Rinconada have also been planted and are widely considered to be the benchmark of the region. Located just beside the Sanford & Benedict vineyard, the La Rinconada vineyard has a slightly different soil composition know to produce a “more earthy expression of Pinot Noir” (Marisa D'Vari).

