Winemaker Notes
2015 was a classic low yielding, high concentration vintage in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Years of drought followed by an early bud break and then Spring rains had a major impact on yields with most of our Pinot vineyards at less than 50% of normal. The remainder of the vintage was moderate to warm which brought on rapid ripening during the harvest season. Winemakers needed to be very tuned into their vineyards or they were likely to pick excessively ripe fruit. We started picking our Lester Pinot on August 19, our earliest date yet. The berries were extra small and the clusters lighter than usual which made for very small yields and a wine that is especially intense.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard saw a touch of destemming (there’s 70% stems) and was brought up in 25% new French oak. Its medium ruby color is followed by terrific notes of red currants, raspberries, spice and underbrush aromas and flavors. Lightly textured, elegant, and silky, with impressive balance, it's a touch mid-weight, yet has impressive length on the finish. This is a beautiful Pinot Noir I suspect will evolve nicely.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Bradley Brown opted for 70% whole cluster on this forest-spiced bottling, and the result is a nose full of green peppercorns, tangy green plum, fennel and tapenade. That olive element is also strong on the sip, where green sage, thyme, marjoram, juniper and tangy underripe plum flavors keep the palate entertained.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard is very pretty, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, citrus rind, mossy soil and dried flowers. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, bright and acid-driven, with fine but youthfully chewy tannins and a lingering, tangy finish. Give this a few years in the cellar to unwind, then follow it for the better part of a decade.
-
Wine & Spirits
This vineyard is in Corralitos, a relatively low-elevation site in the southern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains planted on sandy loam. The wine has a cranberry fruit austerity, with notes of celery root and bitter orange. Close your eyes and you might think you are drinking a rich white. But it’s saturated with woodsy spice, giving it the grip of a delicate red. Pour it with fresh sardines off the grill.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.