Ojai Bien Nacido Pinot Noir 2016
-
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
In 2016 the fruit ripened gradually, with cool onshore breezes giving a classic and deeply colored Santa Maria Valley expression.
That dark cherry core is powerful as ever here, while those more wild stem aromas swirl around as fine accents: blackberry leaf, bay and rubbed sage at first, then with some oxygen those pretty botanical notes melt and reveal a more exotically woodsy kind of landscape. So that said, this wine will benefit from some time, in bottle or a decanter for now. It’s less about levity and charm as it was in the past few warmer years—this is a structured and brooding pinot that’s just dazzling to watch unfurl in the glass.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
I suspect one of the finest wines I’ve tasted from this incredibly talented team, the 2016 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido offers heavenly notes of red currants, forest floor, flowers, and spices, with subtle marine-like salinity. A wine that just glides over the palate, with incredible elegance, especially from this more masculine site, it has ultra-fine tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and a great, great finish. It’s a incredible Pinot Noir from a great winemaker and a great vineyard. Drink it over the coming decade or more.
Other Vintages
2019-
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker
Adam had planted a vineyard in Ojai to Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc and had begun producing wine from that fruit in 1983. When the collaboration with Clendenen ended he concentrated all his attention on The Ojai Vineyard to further explore the infinite details of his craft.
Looking back over the last 25 years, one can see the development of The Ojai Vineyard came in three distinct phases. In the beginning it was lots of fun discovering the budding Santa Barbara County, experimenting with new plantings, new areas, and a wide selection of varietals; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and other Rhone varietals. Back in 1983 the vines were grown without much care in what was called a California sprawl. It took years to get growers to move towards progressive practices like drip irrigation and vertical trellising to improved wine grape quality.
Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.