Critic picks

Decanter's top-rated wineries in Santa Barbara County

Decanter scores on the 100-point scale. Its 52 ranked Santa Barbara County producers run from 92 to 95 points, each with at least two rated wines.

Ranked by Decanter's mean score across every wine of theirs Decanter has rated. Highest average first; ties go to the producer with more wines rated.

52
Producers Decanter rates
95
Top score
391
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 195OutwardBallard Canyon, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  2. 294Royal PrinceSanta Maria Valley, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  3. 394Solomon Hills VineyardsSanta Maria Valley, United States6 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  4. 494RacinesSta. Rita Hills, United States16 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  5. 594Grimm's BluffHappy Canyon of Santa Barbara, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 694The HiltSanta Barbara County, United States25 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  7. 794MartellottoSanta Barbara County, United States6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 894DragonetteSanta Barbara County, United States41 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  9. 994Domaine de la CôteSta. Rita Hills, United States20 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  10. 1094Mail RoadSta. Rita Hills, United States2 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  11. 1193StormSanta Barbara County, United States9 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  12. 1293OjaiSanta Maria Valley, United States78 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  13. 1393SanfordSanta Barbara County, United States12 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  14. 1493MelvilleSta. Rita Hills, United States18 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  15. 1593TylerSta. Rita Hills, United States48 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  16. 1693DiatomSta. Rita Hills, United States4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  17. 1793Kings CareySanta Ynez Valley, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1893Stolpman VineyardsLos Olivos, United States23 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  19. 1993OleandriSta. Rita Hills, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2093Presqu'ileSanta Maria Valley, United States9 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  21. 2193Bien Nacido EstateSanta Maria Valley, United States19 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  22. 2292JaffursSanta Barbara County, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  23. 2392SandhiSta. Rita Hills, United States30 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  24. 2492OptikSanta Maria Valley, United States8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  25. 2592AmByth EstateSanta Barbara County, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

Decanter rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Decanter score across every wine of theirs the critic has scored. A producer needs at least two such wines to appear: the guard stops a single lucky score on one bottle from outranking an estate with dozens of rated wines. More on how the list works

Frequently asked

How many Santa Barbara County wineries has Decanter rated?
52 wineries in Santa Barbara County, United States have at least two wines scored by Decanter. Only those appear here.
Which Santa Barbara County winery does Decanter rate highest?
Outward, at a 95-point average from Decanter, followed by Royal Prince and Solomon Hills Vineyards.
How is this list ranked?
By Decanter's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Decanter-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Decanter's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

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