In article >, Mark Lipton >
wrote:

> Richard Sanford, of the eponymous Sanford and Benedict vyd and Sanford
> winery, has long been a favorite PN producer of Jean's. So, when I
> recently received an email selling wines from Sanford's latest winery --
> Alma Rosa in SLO -- for a very attractive price, I gave it a whirl.
> Today, our 3 bottles arrived, so we opened one with a dinner of seared
> duck breasts with roasted acorn squash and the last green beans of the
> season:
>
> 2006 Alma Rosa "La Encantada Vineyard" Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills)
> nose: initially, pencil lead, spice, black raspberry and black currant,
> becoming redder and smokier with a hint of butterscotch
> palate: initially, tight with firm acids, medium body and fine tannins;
> later, opening up, becoming softer, more cherryish
>
> When I looked into this wine, I discovered a likely source for its steep
> discounting: it got an 88 from some publication (shock, horror!). When
> I first opened it up -- twisting off the screwcap, hooray! -- and
> smelled it I thought "Oh, no! Another Central Coast Syrah wannabe."
> Thankfully, our faith in Richard Sanford's winemaking philosophy wasn't
> misplaced. Despite the dark, brooding nature of the wine at first, it
> was light on its feet (13.9% ABV) and had good structure. In many ways,
> it reminded me of a young Burgundy. Later, it became much more
> typically Californian in nature, but still retained its light character.
> I feel that this wine will benefit from a few years in the cellar. The
> oak was used very delicately and didn't seem obstrusive at all. The
> back label also explains that the winery pursues sustainable farming
> practices. All in all, a very satisfying CA Pinot Noir for a very
> reasonable price ($19.99).
>
> Mark Lipton

And they still have the same wine tasting cowboy from Sanford days.