Winemaker Notes
Vegan
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
There's a great deal of sagebrush on the nose of this bottling from a vineyard in the eastern Sta. Rita Hills, along with red cherry, pencil lead and sandalwood. Dark cherry and cranberry flavors power the palate, the fruit wrapped in hickory smoke. Thyme flavors carry into the tannic finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Spice, caramelized cherries, cedar and currants all emerge from the glass of the 2014 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard, and it's a medium-bodied, elegant, nicely textured effort that has bright acidity and plenty of cut. It will be even better with a year of bottle age, and keep for a decade. This was only partially destemmed and saw 16 months in 40% new French oak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Black cherries, ground herbs and hints of oak flow from the translucent ruby colored 2014 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano. Medium-bodied, lively and textured on the palate, with nicely integrated acidity, it comes from a vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and Pommard clones that were planted in the 1970s. Fermented with one-third whole clusters (with one-third fermented in barrel) and aged 16 months in 40% new French oak, it's a classy, outstanding Pinot to drink over the coming 5-6 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.