Sta Rita Superstar; Tyler’s Pinot and Chard Exude Elegance

Wines of Terroir and Intention

In the heart of Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley lies a winemaking philosophy rooted in elegance, precision, and place. Tyler Winery, founded in 2005 by Justin Tyler Willett, is a leading voice in California's modern classic movement—crafting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that speak with clarity, nuance, and a sense of origin. From the beginning, Tyler has pursued the purest expression of Santa Barbara’s historic vineyard sites. With a minimal-intervention approach, native yeast fermentation, and meticulous organic farming, Justin draws out the quiet power and textural complexity of the region's marine-influenced terroir. Today, the winery works with some of the area’s oldest vines—including original 1971 plantings at Sanford & Benedict—and produces just 5,000 cases annually across 12 small bottlings.

Tyler’s commitment to vineyard pedigree is unmatched. From the historic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, with its original 1971 Chardonnay plantings rooted in shallow, rocky soils, to the recently reacquired Fiddlestix Vineyard, planted in 1997 just across the road, each site is chosen for its ability to express the subtle fingerprint of terroir.

The wines are made with restraint—low alcohols, balanced acidity, and thoughtful oak use—all in service of revealing the beauty of place. Production is intentionally small, with just 5,000 cases annually spread across 12 bottlings from 22 distinct parcels.

Tyler’s 2021 estate releases, including the bright, spice-driven Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix and the mineral-laced Chardonnay from Sanford & Benedict, mark a return to vineyards that helped define the region—and the beginning of a new chapter with total control over farming and quality.

If you’ve made it this far, congrats—you’re probably my kind of wine drinker. So go ahead, explore Tyler’s new releases. These wines are rooted in place, made with heart, and aged with grace (like all of us hope to be).

91 Points, Robert Parker
The 2023 Chardonnay opens with beautifully pure, fresh aromas of jasmine, citrus rinds and orchard blossoms. On the palate, it displays a live-wire, tangy energy that carries through the zesty, mineral-drenched finish. This punches far above its weight and would do so as an appellation wine, much less a regional one.

 

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95+ Points, Robert Parker
Justin Willett's transparent, focused winemaking style is well-suited for this site, endowing the 2022 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard with compelling crystalline purity. A beautiful, nuanced nose of clementines, petrichor and white flowers gives way to a precise, lively yet pillowy palate, concluding with a fine-grained chalky finish that remains bright and rounded simultaneously. A graceful, understated expression of this site, I suspect some additional weight and dimension will come from a year or two in the cellar.

 

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96 Points, Robert Parker
The 2022 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard is a high point of a beautiful lineup, showcasing both Tyler's high-fidelity winemaking and the pedigree of this famed vineyard site now part of the estate roster. The darkest, most brooding nose in the range, the aromas here are almost sweet in their concentration but offer a balancing, savory energy. The palate is driven by an umami-like richness, with immense confidence and intensity. It finishes with decadent fruit flavors surrounded by woody, drying tannins that continue to swell with aeration. This wine shows another level of richness than is typical in the Tyler lineup, and it should have an impressive aging trajectory.

 

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