Babcock Slice of Heaven Pinot Noir 2012

  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
Sold Out - was $56.99
OFFER 10% off your order of $99+
Ships Tue, Mar 26
You purchased this 3/16/24
0
Limit Reached
You purchased this 3/16/24
Alert me about new vintages and availability
Babcock Slice of Heaven Pinot Noir 2012 Front Label
Babcock Slice of Heaven Pinot Noir 2012 Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2012

Size
750ML

ABV
14.2%

Your Rating

0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Slice Of Heaven Pinot Noir, a.k.a. Block 14 at the Rita's Crown Vineyard, is where the slice just seems to be getting more and more ethereal. If you want to get a handle on what the excitement is all about in the Sta. Rita Hills, just taste this wine that was grown in the absolute epicenter of the place.

Professional Ratings

  • 91
    All the parts are here to make this Pinot a lovely companion to appropriate beef, pork and game dishes, especially if wild mushrooms are involved. The wine is utterly dry and bright in acidity, and the tannins are fairly thick for a Pinot Noir. The black cherry, pomegranate, leather, black pepper and sandalwood flavors are appealing now, but the wine should develop bottle complexity until 2020. Cellar Selection.

Other Vintages

2014
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
Babcock

Babcock Winery and Vineyards

View all products
Babcock Winery and Vineyards, California
Babcock Winery and Vineyards Winery Image
With 80 acres of grapes farmed meticulously by Babcock Winery and Vineyards for low yields, and ripe fruit of exceptional quality, winemaker Bryan Babcock understands that great wines begin in the vineyard. One of California's brightest stars in the field of winemaking, Babcock was not only selected by the Los Angeles Times as one of the "Ten Best Winemakers of the Year," he was also named by this influential daily as "Most Courageous Winemaker of the Year" for his daring style. The prestigious James Beard Foundation chose Bryan as one of the "Top Ten Small Production Winemakers in the World," the only American chosen for this oenological dream team. In choosing Bryan for this award, David Moore wrote, "Bryan Babcock best exemplifies the traits I look for in a great winemaker. The quality of Bryan's wines speak for themselves, yet it is his personal commitment to excellence that stands out so much. His relentless experimentation, his willingness to explore the possibilities with so many grape varieties, and his aesthetic are a world apart from the usual American approach to winemaking."
Image for  content section
View all products
Image for Central Coast Pinot Noir content section
View all products

Let’s start with the obvious – Central Coast Pinot Noir is an incredibly broad category. This of course is because the Central Coast appellation is enormous, and it contains several stellar Pinot Noir regions within it, all of them kept cool by elevation or proximity to the ocean (or both). So we’ll break things down a bit with a brief look at each of these: Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey and the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills. These are not the only Central Coast sources of good Pinot Noir, but they are the major ones. So let’s get started.

In the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, just west of Silicon Valley, producers craft excellent Pinot in spite of serious challenges. The land is mountainous, rugged and can be foggy, the topsoil is thin and poor and yields tend to be low. Yet Pinots from the likes of David Bruce, Martin Ray, Mount Eden and Thomas Fogarty exhibit undeniable quality, along with bright red fruit, minerality, earth and herbal hints.

Just south lies the large Monterey appellation. Monterey Pinot Noir is grown in coastal areas, taking optimal advantage of the cooling effect of the Pacific. The most highly regarded of these is the Santa Lucia Highlands. Situated on hilly benchlands south of the city of Monterey, this central coast region relies on a long growing season, night and morning fog and consistent afternoon winds to produce world class Pinot Noir. Attributes include intense, rich fruit, subtle earthy notes, spice and a silky texture. Look for producers like Siduri, Kosta Browne, Talbott and Lucienne.

The Santa Maria Valley in northern Santa Barbara County (a section of it falls into southern San Luis Obispo County) is also a haven for quality Pinot Noir. A mere 15 miles from the Pacific, the valley runs east-west, creating a natural tunnel through which ocean breezes and fog flow. This effect lengthens the growing season and promotes both ripeness and development of acidity, lending Santa Maria Valley Pinots their characteristic full flavor, balance and elegance. The famous Bien Nacido Vineyard is located here, and notable producers include Cambria, Foxen, Byron and Au Bon Climat.

Finally, we arrive at the Sta. Rita Hills, also in Santa Barbara County. Located in the western part of the Santa Ynez Valley, it too benefits from an east-west orientation that leads to the same conditions mentioned above. Once again the result is extended hang time for the grapes, which can be tasted in the vibrant, ripe red fruits evident in these Pinots, along with dense coloration and an impression of richness and intensity. Try wines from producers like Ken Brown, Ampelos, Fess Parker and Melville.

As you can see, California’s Central Coast offers a wealth of options for any lover of Pinot Noir. Cheers!

YNG774621_2012 Item# 140207

Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

It's easy to make the switch.
Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

Yes, Update Now

Search for ""