Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lively, fresh and energized at age nine, this wine has plenty of life ahead of it. So vivid in cranberries, rooibus tea, rhubarb and dried cherries on a frame of firm acidity. Elegant and silky.
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Wine Enthusiast
The stunning aromatic profile on this bottling compellingly combines candied fruit with the lift of crushed herbs, while blending cherry and grenadine with mint, bay leaf, a hint of green olive and a touch of crushed gravel on the nose. That lovable core of plush red fruits rides tight tannins on the palate, where bay leaf, thyme and green peppercorn flavors complete the sip.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Pinot Noir Machado shows the more briny, tight, firm style of the 2015 vintage as well as medium-bodied richness, terrific purity, building tannins, and solid length. As with a lot of 2015s, it needs another year or two of bottle age. Rating : 93+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Machado is scented of kirsch and pomegranate with an undercurrent of forest floor, sautéed herbs, cinnamon stick and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate packs in the intense red berry and earthy flavors with a chewy backbone supporting the dense fruit through the long, lively finish.
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Wine Spectator
Complex and subtle, with a firm structure to the mix of dark currant, pomegranate, raspberry and plum tart flavors, supported by medium-grained tannins. Cocoa powder notes show on the finish. Drink now through 2020.
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.