Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Subdued red-fruit aromas meet with a slightly gamy and funky kick of sizzling pork skin on the nose of this bottling, one of the first releases from Peter Hunken and Amy Christine's estate vineyard. Rhubarb and black-raspberry flavors pair with thyme, roasting herbs and a touch of game on the palate, framed by plush acidity and subtle tannins.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the 2017 Pinot Noir The Joy Fantastic sports a translucent ruby/plum color to go with a great bouquet of gamey red and black fruits, forest floor, ground herbs, and spice. Deep, medium-bodied, beautifully textured, and balanced on the palate, it has building structure and is going to benefit from a year in bottle and keep through 2027.
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 superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.