The Santos Brujos Estate
- Founded: 2008 by Sergio Salgado and family
- Region and grape source: All grapes for their wines are sourced from their estate owned organic and biodynamic certified (CCOF/Demeter) vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe.
- Vineyard specifics: Vines were planted in 2008 in soils of decomposed granite and clay at an elevation 900 ft approximately 8 miles from the Pacific. While most of the vineyards are planted in a standard slope and prevailing wind based orientation, a portion of their vineyards are planted in a Fibonacci spiral.
- Notes:
- Santos Brujos is one of the few wineries in the region that has taken the steps to become certified organic and biodynamic. Certified by the CCOF, USDA and Demeter, they are perhaps more dedicated to this approach than any other estates in the region thus far. Even the name "Santos Brujos", which translates to "Saintly Witches" makes reference to the practice prescribed by Rudolf Steiner, (the founder of Biodynamic farming) by which the amendments to the soil and plants are prepared and stirred at length by hand in large cauldrons.
- All of the wines are made in a “natural” style with native yeast fermentation, no additives or corrections at any point during the process. Minimal sulfites are added at bottling for stability.
- The philosophy of Santos Brujos is to learn from the land - to nurture and respect it in every process. In their wines they seek to exalt the freshness of the fruit in combination with the elegance of the tertiary aromas provided by the French oak.
Annual production: 4 wines, 2,200 cases
2023 292 Chardonnay - Santos Brujos
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
Long awaited and well worth the patience, this is the fully stainless-steel expression of Santos Brujos’ celebrated Chardonnay. Where the estate’s classic cuvée sees partial aging in French oak, this rendition offers an unadorned, crystalline view of the fruit—crisp, pure, and vividly expressive of its biodynamically farmed vineyards. Produced in extremely limited quantity and held for release until 2026, it is a rare opportunity to experience the wine in its most elemental form.
162 cases made
Drinking window: Upon release - 7 yearsVintage:
2023
Blend:
100% Chardonnay
Producer:
Santos Brujos
Winemaker:
Luis Pecina Garcia - Spanish born, lives in Mexico
Vineyards:
Valle de Guadalupe - Estate vineyards - this parcel is 8.4 acres planted in 2013 and located in the center of the valley approximately 8 miles from the Pacific at an elevation of 900 ft. Soils are a sandy clay marl.
Winemaking:
Harvest occurred in the middle of the night on Aug 29th. Harvest and selection was by hand in small crates to prevent bruising. After pressing, the wine was fermented on native yeasts over a period of 3 weeks and then left to age for another 8 months in tanks before being bottled unfired and only grossly filtered. This is 100% Stainless steel aging - no oak is used in the process. Sulfites: 99 ppm
Farming:
Biodynamic, organic, sustainable
Alcohol:
13.5%
