Winemaker Notes
Complex nose of cardamom and mint, intense cherry and cranberry, rose petal and autumn leaves. Brach's strawberry caramel and ripe red apple in the mouth, with dried green herbs, plus deeper base notes of dark berries and vanilla. Silky palate, but very fresh, with orange peel and black tea on the finish. Mulled cherry and raspberry-like fruit, it has tons of salty nuances in its floral, spicy, underbrush-driven aromatics and is medium-bodied, with a bright, juicy texture and outstanding length.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The appellation 2020 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills (100% from Fiddlestix Vineyard and all destemmed) is well worth checking out. A classic expression of the appellation with its mulled cherry and raspberry-like fruit, it has tons of salty nuances in its floral, spicy, underbrush-driven aromatics and is medium-bodied, with a bright, juicy texture and outstanding length. Drink bottles over the coming 4-6 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.