Sandhi wines & Domaine de la cote

TL;DR

  • Cute for pictures: 3.5/5 (tasting room is downtown but you can also visit their vineyard)

  • QPR: 5/5

  • Main varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot, Sparkling wine

  • Tasting fee: $50

Sandhi and Domaine de la Côte are two different brands founded by a sommelier Rajat Parr. Both focus on some of the most prestigious and distinctive vineyards in Santa Barbara County, particularly in the Sta. Rita Hills, known for its cool climate and coastal influence that favors Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Domaine de la Cote gained its fame when one of their wines was featured in Somm 3 during a blind tasting. Sandhi has an emphasis on old vines and dry-farming techniques and whole-cluster fermentation, enhancing the wines' structure and earthy aromatics.

The tasting room is located in downtown Lompoc along with other wine making facilities, close to the beautiful vineyards in Sta Rita Hills. We were welcomed with a traditional method sparkling wine, 2016 Blanc de noir, and it was delicious! We then drove 5 minutes and got to see the unique terroir and elevation of their vineyards.

Their Chardonnays and whole cluster Pinots were a treat and I enjoyed various bottles from both Sandhi and Domain de la Cote. I went back and forth revisiting and doing side by side tastings and ended up buying a bottle of 2020 Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Pinot, 2021 Romance Pinot, and 2016 Blanc de Noir.

If you like Champagne or cool climate Pinots, highly recommend trying their wines!

More about Sandhi and Domaine de la Cote

Tyler Winery Mae Estate

TL;DR

  • Cute for pictures: 4/5

  • QPR: 4/5

  • Main varietals: Chardonnay and Pinot

  • Tasting fee: $50 or $125

I first learned about Tyler for good Burgundian Pinots and Chardonnays outside of Burgundy. I got to try a few of their Pinots and wanted to make sure I stop by their tasting room. I was greeted with a glass of rosé and welcomed at the property overlooking the vineyard.

I learned during the tasting that a lot of their wines are exported to Europe, which might be why you might not have seen their bottles, They have a few different bottles of Pinots and Chardonnays including Mae Estates which are from vineyards around their property and additional single vineyard wines under the Tyler label.

My favorite from the tasting line up was the Bentrock vineyard but I’ve also had a bottle of their Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada before and both were tasty.

More about Tyle Winery: Website