Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2021 Pinot Noir Machado is similarly darker ruby and translucently hued and offers up a smorgasbord-like array of red and black berries, smoked herbs, underbrush, and gamey, foresty, marine-like nuances. Flawlessly balanced, deep, rich, and textured, it has an awesome mid-palate, integrated tannins, and heavenly finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Greg Brewer's wines manage to reflect both a winemaking style and a specific site at the same time. In this version, aromas of sour cherry, pepper and herbs lead into a palate loaded with raspberry jellies and more minty herbs, capturing the wind-cooled sunshine and surrounding nature with glee.
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Wine Spectator
This sports some gorgeous fruit, with damson plum, griotte and blood orange pâte de fruit driving along a silky, refined structure, while rooibos tea, sandalwood, singed anise and savory details underscore the long, lilting finish. Drink now through 2031.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Pinot Noir Machado has deep, gently broody scents of pomegranate, blackberry, Angostura bitters and dark spices. The medium-bodied palate is chalky with vibrant acidity, a concentrated core of spicy fruit and a long, layered finish.
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.