94–96-Point Santa Barbara Pinot Noir & Chardonnay for Under $20

94–96-Point Santa Barbara Standouts 2021–2023 Tread Pinot Noir & Chardonnay Half the Price You’ll Pay Anywhere Else "Winemaker Kristin Bryden is proving to be a savant in the Burgundian grape game." — Wine Enthusiast, 95 pts, Editors' Choice

These Tread wines are about to become some of the best-selling wines of the year—and with good reason! We have simply incredible pricing on a collection of wines that are exceptional across the entire range. Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays sourced from some of the finest, most renowned vineyards in Santa Barbara, crafted by a much-lauded winemaker at the top of her game. The wines are delicious, they've received strong critical acclaim…so why the deep deal, you ask? Well, the winery has recently changed ownership, and they came to us looking to move through some inventory. Having tasted these wines several times in the past, I already knew this was going to be a coup, and the pricing we negotiated is absolutely incredible. — Ryan Woodhouse, K&L Domestic Wine Buyer

2021 Tread Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir (Elsewhere $40) $14.95

95 points Wine Enthusiast: "Winemaker Kristin Bryden is proving to be a savant in the Burgundian grape game. This county cuvée is delicious from start to finish. Vibrant, fresh and juicy aromas of strawberry, Bing cherry and earthy chaparral lead from the nose into a grippy, energetic palate of red fruit and brown spices. *Editors' Choice* (MK)" (05/2024)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer | Review Date: March 04, 2026

The Tread wines are classically made, cool-climate expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The fruit sources are top-notch and the winemaking artisanal, small-production, and meticulous. From the broader AVA bottlings to the single-vineyard wines, this lineup over-delivers on value for money and is going to put a smile on a lot of faces—just like it did mine.The 2021 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir combines fruit from Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. Its a pairing that works beautifully, with Sta. Rita providing a floral, high-toned, red-fruited element while Santa Maria brings a more savory, gamey, earthy dimension to the mix. Theres wonderful fruit here—black raspberry, cherry, sarsaparilla, with hints of bramble and spring hedgerow. Open, expressi

Aaron Hughes | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 04, 2026

Pretty but very ripe and juicy nose, there's some crunchy cranberry skin, pie cherry, a little bit of dried rose petals, and a little bit of rounder fruit towards the very end of the nose. It's really lovely and inviting, like I just knocked on the door and got cordially invited in by a melodious voice that puts me entirely at ease. The palate is bright and more full than the wine's color would lead me to believe. There's an intense push of fruit with bright cherry, underripe strawberry, a little raspberry flower, and then some cherry skins before it goes to a lingering barrel spiced finish. At this price point this is pretty compelling, it's got a lot of very pure and pretty fruit and a fairly complex palate with plenty of acid. Totally solid.

Kirk Walker | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 04, 2026

For me, this is a classic SBC Pinot Noir. There is a delicate complexity to the fruit, higher-toned red fruits and berries, much more than what is expected from a Pinot at this pricepoint. Hailing from SoCal, the Pinots from Santa Barbara County were the wines that I learned about the varietal. This wine takes me back! I love this lighter style of Pinot, fresh and dynamic fruit backed by subtle oak spice and herbal tones. It is not complicated, just tasty and good.

2021 Tread "La Encantada Vineyard" Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir (Elsewhere $55) $19.95

94 points Wine Enthusiast: "A light color in the glass, this single-vineyard expression offers fresh and lively red fruit aromas with a delicate kiss of oak. The palate is vibrant and energetic, showing tart cherry, raspberry and chai latte flavors. *Cellar Selection* (MK)" (05/2024)

92 points Vinous: "The 2021 Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard shows all the aromatic effusiveness that is so typical of Swan Clone Pinot. Dried herbs, menthol, licorice, game, sage and sweet pipe tobacco are all nicely delineated, while primary fruit is more in the background. This is a wine for readers who enjoy earthier Pinots. All it needs is a bit more mid-palate depth. (AG)" (07/2024)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer | Review Date: March 04, 2026

Despite not scoring quite as high as the Bien Nacido bottling, the La Encantada was my personal favorite in the Tread lineup. I was completely taken with its purity of fruit and haunting perfume. Aromas of dried rose petals, Asian spice, and aromatic alpine herbs mingle with ripe raspberry, sassafras, and clove-spiced citrus peel.On the palate it is silky and vibrant—medium-bodied, fresh, elegant, and beautifully poised. A truly lovely bottle of Pinot Noir that I could happily enjoy time and time again. Versatile with food, yet equally delicious all on its own. A really lovely wine, and for the price, an absolute song.

Aaron Hughes | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 04, 2026

This one comes in a slightly taller and heavier bottles than the others from Tread, which means it's probably better. The nose is really lovely, its siren song pulling me in a little bit deeper. It's got this generous pop of fruit at the very front, a slightly creamy cherry mixing with a fresher more pure-fruited cherry, and then just a little raspberry, and some tomato leaf and white flowers. The palate has a lot of good structure, not too much tannin, but enough that it actually ends up complementing the fruit and acidity, everything in this perfect balance it's really something that with each sip I can actually feel the balance and the kind of back and forth over the palate with each sip. This is great, and even though I have a natural prejudice against a slightly heavier bottle, it definitely was impressive the perfectly balanced structure it has while still feeling like it's a great candidate to be aged for another 5-10 years and maybe then it'll really start to blush. Really great.

2021 Tread "Bien Nacido Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir (Elsewhere $50) $19.95

96 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is a joyous, sunny style of Pinot Noir that will cause countless smiles to crack. Aromas of strawberry, cherry, citrus peel and ample baking spice enliven the nose. The palate pairs vibrant acidity and white pepper spice with the lush candied cherry core. (MK)" (05/2024)

94 points Vinous: "The 2021 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard is elegant, lifted and super-expressive. Crushed rose petal, sweet red berry fruit, mint and blood orange all grace this super-expressive, nuanced Chardonnay. This translucent, refined Pinot is all class. (AG)" (07/2023)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer | Review Date: March 04, 2026

Wow! What more can I say to convince you to grab as much of this wine as you can? Bien Nacido Pinot Noir, from a great vintage, crafted by a winemaker who consistently delivers the goods, 96 points and under $20! How? As I mentioned in a prior review, Tread found themselves a little long on inventory and came to us to help move some wine. We were more than happy to oblige—especially when it means getting bottles like this into the glasses of people we know will truly enjoy them.This is classic Bien Nacido: brimming with deep red fruits, wild brambly tones, hints of sauvage, and the dry chaparral character that is so distinctive of Santa Maria Pinot Noir. The palate shows beautifully fine, silky tannins with a suave framing of subtle oak that supports the fruit without ever overpowering it.This is the complete package—a beautiful wine at an unreal price.

Aaron Hughes | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 04, 2026

Don't you love it when you try two Pinot Noirs from the same producer back to back and they're just so different yet there's these similarities that help you determine the terroir vs the winemaker? Yeah me too. Definitely more cherry on this nose, not quite black fruit but it's getting darker red, like a Bing Cherry with some raspberry and that lightest bit of cooked strawberry in the very back. Fantastic. Like, actually fantastic, this is already showing me it's worth the price of admission. Savory in the mid-palate, but the front is loaded with really pretty fruit, pie cherry, cranberry, a little pomegranate seed and then some savory notes come in with a little bit of earth and some barrel spice before the acidity comes back pushing a little more fruit and then finishing with lingering spice. This is really nice and I definitely felt a little bit of a push mentally to have this with a bite or two and it would sing a little bit louder. Either way, this is a great bottle of Pinot Noir at this price.

Jackson Kelly | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 26, 2026

An incredible California Pinot for an even better price. This wine is elegant and polished, with notes of strawberry on the nose, red fruit and savory spice on the palate, and acidity that really ties this wine together. For the price, you won't find a better Central Coast Pinot.

2022 Tread Santa Barbara County Chardonnay (Elsewhere $35) $14.95

94 points Wine Enthusiast: "This county cuvée is greater than the sum of its parts. Meyer lemon peel and warm apricot aromas are delicately presented on the nose. The vibrant palate is bright in expression, tight in texture and layered in flavors of nectarine, melon and citrus. *Editors' Choice* (MK)" (07/2025)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer | Review Date: March 04, 2026

My goodness, this is a simply rocking bottle of Chardonnay for a crazy low price. Sourced from several sites across Santa Barbara, all selected for their ultra-cool maritime climate, the wine is vibrant and alive with juicy citrus, crunchy Pink Lady apple, hints of salt dough, wet stone, and white flowers. Textured and full of flavor, yet chiseled and focused on the palate.I love that only 10% new oak was used here—the wine simply doesn't need heavy oak influence, as it already has plenty of character and depth on its own. Sensational value, just like the rest of the Tread lineup. Snooze, you lose!

Aaron Hughes | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 04, 2026

Well, here it is folks, it's your answer until it sells out. At least one of them. This is really pretty, really nice fruit on the nose just a super classic apple pear with this touch of lemon zest. The palate is easy like Sunday morning, just a pretty simple crowd-pleaser. This isn't going to open up anyone's Third-Eye, but it's going to be a great answer to a lot of mid-week and mixed (consumers and appreciators) party questions when it comes to a Chardonnay. It's super clean and easy and not oaky, not sweet but with decent fruit on the front. Bam. Sold.

2023 Tread Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay (Elsewhere $40) $14.95

93 points Vinous: "The 2023 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is entirely from La Encantada. Tense and lemony, it screams across the palate with tons of energy and drive. Orchard fruit, chamomile and salty lees linger on the finish. Pure and lifted. (BN)" (08/2025)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer | Review Date: March 04, 2026

This price for Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay is almost unheard of—and when you factor in that it's sourced entirely from the renowned La Encantada Vineyard, it becomes an unbeatable value with pedigree in spades. Planted in 2000 just down the road from Sanford & Benedict and Fiddlestix, this site has earned a loyal following in its own right. Farmed under CCOF organic certification and located just 8 miles from the Pacific, La Encantada reliably produces vibrant, mineral-driven wines with the capacity to age beautifully.Floral hints on the nose lead straight into a citrus grove: waxy lemon, crushed quince, and almond paste. Minimal oak influence—largely fermented and aged in neutral barrels—lets the pure, mouthwatering fruit take center stage. Refreshing, focused, and beautifully pure. This wine has that electric Sta. Rita magic.

Aaron Hughes | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 04, 2026

Right now we live in an opulent abundance of wine. Wineries have a lot of back stock, there's wineries that are closing down, and ultimately it's the consumer who ends up benefitting because you get these wines at stupid good deals. At it's original price I don't know how I would have felt about this wine, but at the price we have it now, under $15 I can tell you it's flat out fantastic. The nose has that apple pear with this lemon candy undertone, but there's also white flowers with a touch of honeysuckle. The palate is unoaked, but with this roundness that makes me think of neutral oak and more of that really nice fresh pear and a little bit of bruised apple with lemon juice, with a little bit of a neutral barrel spiced finish and roundness. This is really pretty stellar and really impressive at this price. Aaron loves it.

2022 Tread "Sierra Madre Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay (Elsewhere $40) $19.95

94 points Vinous: "The 2022 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard is classy and elegant from start to finish. There's an element of translucence here that is captivating. Readers will find a super-classic Santa Maria Chardonnay done in a steely, brisk style that is quite appealing. (AG)" (07/2024)

92 points Wine Enthusiast: "White melon, crushed chalk and uplifting flower blossom aromas draw the nose into this single-vineyard expression. There's a wax-like grip to the palate, where coconut flesh and fluffy gardenia flavors are elegantly balanced. (MK)" (07/2025)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Domestic Wine Buyer | Review Date: March 04, 2026

I've long been a fan of this vineyard site, and I even had the chance to work with the fruit during my time in the cellar 15 years ago. Originally planted in the 1970s, its a historic site that has long earned its Grand Cru status. The wines from here always strike a fascinating balance between power and precision—naturally concentrated and dense, yet driven by vibrant, piercing, mouthwatering acidity. That's exactly the case here.This isn't a fruit-forward Chardonnay; it's all about saline, stony minerality, freshly baked pie crust, hints of jasmine, citrus peel, and Marcona almond. Complex and compelling, it clearly reflects the pedigree of the site and its intense maritime influence. Chablis-like perhaps, but it doesn't need to imitate anything. This wine has a true sense of place all its own.

Aaron Hughes | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 04, 2026

Another really clean and fresh little guy from this winery. This is probably, of the ones I've tasted, one of the bigger and richer Chardonnays but it's still really accessible and fairly easy. The nose has a little bit of oak to it for me, but it's probably in the low double digits. Please understand I am just guessing and it's my impression from what I'm tasting and smelling, so if I'm wrong, I'm okay with that. There's that pretty and crisp red apple, some lemon curd, and then that little touch of oak. The palate is elegant and really has a great texture while maintaining this beautiful line of acidity the whole way through, very crisp and tart red apple, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little bit of chalk on the finish round everything out. It's really gorgeous and a great deal at this price. Buy it, you'll like it.

Matthew Landau Hassan | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 25, 2026

Focused and mineral driven, this chardonnay opens with aromas of lemon peel, green apple, and subtle wet stone, accented by restrained oak influence. The palate is bright and precise, with vibrant acidity supporting citrus and orchard fruit flavors layered with light savory complexity. the texture is clean and structured, with excellent balance between freshness and depth. A precise, site-driven Chardonnay emphasizing tension, minerality, and restrained elegance.