Sandhi And Domaine De La Cote - Santa Barbara Stars

These were some of my favorite wines from a tasting trip in the Los Angeles area. Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman are players in both wineries, and have special things happening in Santa Barbara.

I tried six wines at the Domaine De La Cote tasting room in Lompoc. The delightful Molly Barker, an enthusiastic Lompoc native who runs the tasting room, explained that Raj wanted the Domaine De La Cote Pinot Noirs tasted before the Sandhi Chardonnays. It was an intriguing spin to the customary order which showed off the purity of the Pinots, then allowed the powerful and refreshing whites to shine. 

 

 

Molly mentioned a couple of the primary winemaking focuses: Domaine De La Cote is stored in neutral oak with no toast, for a transparent expression of Pinot. Sandhi is made with lower alcohol and higher acidity. These philosophies are working for them. I would enjoy all six wines on a regular basis.