Sandhi Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California 2021

Sandhi Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California 2021

Sandhi
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Sandhi Wines is one of Santa Barbara County’s most influential modern wineries, founded in 2010 by Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman to explore the coastal precision of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills. Focused on single-vineyard wines, careful farming, and low-intervention cellar work, Sandhi helped redefine what California can taste like: mineral, fresh, and transparent rather than heavy or overly ripe. For shoppers looking to buy Santa Barbara wine online, Sandhi is a benchmark producer for terroir-driven California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with real elegance and age-worthy structure.
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Raj Parr, the owner of Sandhi, along with Sashi Moorman, think the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara is some of the finest land in the world to grow Chardonnay and produce a wine to the likes of Chablis. What do we think? What do you think?

Indigenous yeast fermentation, aged 10 months in 500 L puncheons, sustainable farming, sourced primarily from the inimitable Domaine de la Côte Vineyard. 94 POINTS from JAMES SUCKLING.

Tasting Notes expressed meyer lemons, sun dried apples, and yes, the lovely chalkly minerality reminiscent of Chablis -- good job, Sandhi!
Variety Chardonnay
Region Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Santa Barbara, CA predominantly sourced from Domaine de la Côte
Volume 750ml
Alcohol Volume 12.8%

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    Sandhi is a small-production winery sourcing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from select vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. After searching up and down the California coast, we settled on a narrow slice along Santa Rosa Road for the verve, balance and effortless Pacific breezes of these sites. It has been our belief that only together can we fully express them.

    Sanskrit for collaboration, Sandhi is a meeting of minds, methods and meticulous practices in the vineyard and the cellar to explore unanswered questions and untapped terroirs. In the Santa Rita Hills we find a tremendous opportunity for all of the above. It was this place–tucked along the southern Central Coast of California, an hour’s drive to any major city but only ten miles from the ocean–that captivated Rajat Parr as a young sommelier two decades ago.

    Winemaking Philosophy

    We consider it a great privilege to partner with historic and distinct sites in Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Covering just eight miles, the vines grow among a mix of marine sedimentary soils and oceanic winds that vary considerably from one plot to the next. It is our aim to translate only those particularities to the finished wine.

    The vibrant, aromatic layers of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay that stopped Rajat in his tracks 20 years ago are no accident. Here, our growing season is defined by constant cool breezes, powerful sunshine and rocky soils, all of which come together to produce grapes of equal concentration and freshness. Fermenting them proves it–the levels of pH, alcohol and ripeness found at harvest uncommon to California–and shows quantitatively what makes this place so special.

    In the winery, we rely on native yeast and make no additions or subtractions of any kind. Chardonnay is fermented and aged in large oak barrels for complexity and texture. Pinot Noir, more delicate in structure and aromatics, sees concrete tank fermentation before a shorter barrel aging.

    Fascinated by the great vines and wines of Burgundy, Raj found inspiration in the energetic Chardonnays from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard put forth by producers like Au Bon Climat and The Ojai Vineyard. Then-wine director for Mina Group, the San Francisco-based, award-winning restaurant group, these were some of the only California Chardonnays to make his wine lists. Not to mention these were Chardonnays from what was then, and still is, an area heralded for Pinot Noir.

    In 2004 two events in Raj’s life laid the groundwork for Sandhi. He met Sashi Moorman–who coincidentally lent a hand to those Ojai Vineyard wines–and decided to make some of his own. Raj quickly realized a cool climate and marine soils in the southern Santa Rita Hills were responsible for the zing and complexity embedded in Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay. Just as immediate was his connection with Sashi, an up-and-coming winemaker with deep knowledge of the area and a like mind for focused, expressive wines that elevate food and enhance conversation.

    After bottling–what else–Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay in 2009, Sandhi took off with gusto the following vintage. For nearly 15 years we have followed two principles–purchase Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from responsibly-farmed vineyards, and vinify them all the same – to show the singular coastal beauty and nuance of each site.

    Hundreds of hands play a role; from our growers to vineyard workers, our cellar team and winemaking mentors to our friends producing compelling wines around the world. These collaborations drive our passion for wines of place from a region like no other.

    LESS IS MORE

    We believe less is more and prefer to emphasize the attributes of a place over the tools in a building. Our wines have always been grown and made in small quantities to maximize quality and transparency at every step.

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    Sandhi Winery: Sta. Rita Hills Precision, Coastal Chardonnay, and Santa Barbara’s Modern Icons

    A Winery That Helped Redefine California Wine

    Sandhi is one of the most important names in Santa Barbara County wine, founded in 2010 by Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman with a clear goal: prove that California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir could be as site-driven, mineral, and expressive as the world’s great coastal regions. At the time, this was still a radical idea in a market dominated by richness, new oak, and high alcohol. Sandhi helped change that conversation, showing what happens when you lean into wind, fog, and limestone-driven tension instead of trying to out-muscle the fruit.

    Sta. Rita Hills: Wind, Fog, and Natural Acidity

    Sandhi is built around the Sta. Rita Hills, one of the coldest and most compelling appellations in California. This is a place defined by relentless wind, marine fog, and long growing seasons, which means grapes ripen slowly and keep their acidity. That’s the secret ingredient behind Sandhi’s style: wines that feel bright and taut, with lift, structure, and a sense of coastal clarity that is unmistakable.

    The Wines: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a Quiet “Burgundy” Energy

    Sandhi is especially known for single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, often sourced from some of the region’s most iconic sites. The wines aren’t trying to be showy, they’re built around balance and nuance. Expect Chardonnay that leans citrusy, mineral, and textured rather than buttery, and Pinot Noir that feels fragrant, earthy, and elegant, with red fruit and savory depth instead of sweetness.

    These are wines that drink beautifully young but also reward time, especially the best vineyard-designate bottlings.

    Farming and Winemaking: Low Intervention, High Intent

    Sandhi’s approach is thoughtful and restrained: careful vineyard sourcing, native-leaning fermentations, gentle extraction, and aging that supports texture without dominating flavor. The point is always the same: let the vineyard be the loudest voice in the room. It’s a style that appeals to natural wine drinkers, Burgundy lovers, and anyone who wants California wine with energy and precision rather than weight.

    Why We Carry Sandhi

    We carry Sandhi because it represents Santa Barbara at its best: coastal, bright, and deeply expressive. These are wines that feel alive, wines that make you want another sip, another bite of food, another glass with friends. If you’re searching for California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir online that feels honest and terroir-driven, Sandhi is one of the most reliable answers we know.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Sandhi Winery

    1. What is Sandhi Winery known for?

    Sandhi is known for single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills with a style focused on freshness, minerality, and balance.

    2. Where is Sandhi located?

    Sandhi is based in Santa Barbara County, with its core focus on Sta. Rita Hills vineyards.

    3. Who founded Sandhi Winery?

    Sandhi was founded in 2010 by Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman.

    4. What makes Sta. Rita Hills special?

    It’s one of the coldest, windiest wine regions in California, producing wines with high natural acidity and strong site expression.

    5. What grapes does Sandhi focus on?

    Sandhi focuses primarily on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

    6. Are Sandhi wines made in a natural style?

    Sandhi is not “natural wine” in the extreme sense, but it leans low-intervention with a focus on transparency, vineyard character, and restrained winemaking.

    7. Are Sandhi wines good for aging?

    Yes. Many Sandhi wines, especially single-vineyard bottlings, age beautifully due to their acidity, structure, and balance.

    8. What foods pair well with Sandhi wines?

    Chardonnay: seafood, roast chicken, creamy pastas, grilled vegetables

    Pinot Noir: salmon, roast turkey, mushrooms, pork, duck, charcuterie

    9. What does “Sandhi” mean?

    Sandhi refers to the union or connection involved in creating wine: human, earth, and vine working together.

    10. Where can I buy Sandhi wine online?

    You can buy Sandhi wines online at Harvest Wine Shop San Diego, specializing in terroir-driven California wine and small-production producers.

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