Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another terrific wine is the 2013 Pinot Noir J.L. Bonaccorsi, which comes from a blend of Sebastiano, Melville and Bien Nacido. It was completely stemmed and spent 20 months in neutral French oak. Medium-bodied, elegant, with fine tannin and lively acidity, it offers a touch of underlying funk to go with plenty of forest floor, dried cherry fruit, underbrush and spice on the nose. There’s a touch of old world charm here and it opened up beautifully with time in the glass, so don’t be afraid to give bottles some air. I suspect it will drink nicely for 7-8 years.
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.