Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Pinot Noir The Captain wafts from the glass with complex aromas of wood smoke, wild berries and savory forest floor. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, cool and racy, with a crunchy core of fruit, fine-grained structuring tannins and lots of sappy energy, concluding with a penetrating finish. Like the 2015 rendition, this will need some time to really open up, but it's a beautiful wine from Bien Nacido's highest-altitute, most windswept plantings.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A new cuvée (for me anyways), the 2014 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido The Captain was the standard winemaking and saw 30% whole clusters, native ferments and 18 months in 40% new French oak. It sports a deeper ruby color as well as terrific red and black fruits, leady herbs, underbrush and leather. It's another concentrated, rich and nicely structured effort that has plenty of ripe tannin, solid mid-palate depth and a good finish. Like the other wines here, it's going to keep for a decade, and I suspect will be one of the longer-lived wines in the vintage.
Bien Nacido Vineyard, one of Santa Maria Valley’s first and most renowned cool-climate vineyards, has been a celebrated source of world-class grapes and estate wines since its founding by 4th generation farming brothers Bob and Steve Miller. The vineyard’s name, meaning "Well Born" in Spanish, reflects its deep historical roots, having been planted on the historic Rancho Tepusquet land grant. The Miller’s planted the first 300 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1973, capitalizing on the region's unique geography, climate, and meticulously farmed, sustainable vineyards. These ideal conditions have made Bien Nacido Estate Vineyards synonymous with distinctive and expressive wines.
Widely acclaimed, Bien Nacido has been recognized as one of the top 20 terroirs in the world by Wine Spectator and named by Wine Enthusiast as one of the 10 vineyards behind the world’s most famous wines. Known for its cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, the vineyard continues to thrive thanks to its remarkable terroir and a dedicated team that upholds its legacy of excellence with each passing vintage.
Looking ahead, the fifth generation of the Miller family is carrying this legacy forward, shaping the future of Bien Nacido with the same passion and commitment to quality. In 2005, they introduced the Bien Nacido Estate brand—a true reflection of their enduring dedication to farming and winemaking at this world-renowned vineyard. Each vintage is an opportunity to showcase the vineyard’s unique identity, offering a pure expression of the land that has defined Bien Nacido for generations.
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.