Located at the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills along Santa Rosa Road, the adjacent Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada ranches and their vineyards combine to make up the Sanford Estate.  Located 10 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, the Sanford estate benefits from its central position within a unique geographic anomaly – the east-west traversing Santa Ynez Valley.  It is the east-west orientation of the Santa Ynez Valley which provides a pathway to the Pacific Ocean and its maritime cooling influence, allowing cool air to be drawn inland. This creates the perfect conditions for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and it was this anomaly which was discovered by Michael Benedict through his research, data collection and analysis.  

The Sanford Estate Vineyards are farmed and harvested in more than 40 individual blocks, allowing us to highlight the subtle soil variations and microclimate in both farming and vinification. Our winemaking is the constant between the two vineyards so the differences in aromas, flavor, texture and mouthfeel of our single block wines are directly related and attributed to the unique terroir of each vineyard block. True representation of the place and true representations of the vineyards.