Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A complex, layered 2014 that doesn't skimp on texture, the 2014 Pinot Noir Hapgood has loads of black cherry, dried herbs, sandy soil, licorice and spice box to go with a full-bodied, supple, layered, yet still focused and lively style on the palate. Another rich, textured, yet balanced Pinot Noir from this team, it has solid tannic structure and will cruise for at least a decade in the cellar.
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Tasting Panel
The 2014 Pinot Noir Hapgood is the ripest and most flamboyant of these Pinots. Sweet floral and spice notes add an attractive upper register and appealing element of delicacy. Soft, supple and expressive, the Hapgood is showing very well today.
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Wine Spectator
A bit unwieldy now, with the tannins overshadowing the plum, blueberry and raspberry flavors. Eventually finds a nice gliding altitude, turning delicate and tender.
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.