Winemaker Notes
- Fred Holloway, Winemaker
Julia's is hand-harvested from a 235-acre Pinot Noir vineyard in the coolest section of the, family-owned Cambria estate. As expected from the consistency of Cambria's fruit, the 2000 vintage speaks boldly of Santa Maria Valley's ideal climate and vineyard conditions for growing Pinot Noir. Formed from alluvial deposits of the Sisquoc River, Cambria's soil is gravelly and exceptionally well draining—restricting vine vigor to promote the growth of Pinot Noir with concentrated and intense flavors. The maritime influences that funnel in from the Pacific Ocean, cloak the Santa Maria Valley in mild temperatures, extending the vineyard's growing season to provide ample time to balance the fruit's acid profile and develop optimal varietal character.
In the vineyard, development of mature flavors lays the foundation for flavor and quality and sets the stage for winemaking. In 2000, Mother Nature provided us with excellent conditions for the development of distinct, rich Pinot Noir. The vineyard management team was innately aware of the quality throughout the season and carefully managed the growth of this superb crop through meticulous management techniques. Leaf thinning allowed more sunlight on the clusters for full, even ripening. Irrigation was minimized to restrict vine vigor and focus the vine's energy on the development of concentrated flavors. Any underdeveloped fruit was taken off the vines at verasion to promote the growth of densely flavored clusters. The resulting 2000 Pinot Noir crop was superb quality.
Individual lots of Pinot Noir were hand-harvested into small, open-top fermenting bins. A cold pre-soak and frequent punch-downs maximized the extraction of flavor and color from the skins. After fermentation, the Pinot Noir was racked into medium-plus toasted French oak, for ten months, to balance the velvety tannins and round out the mid-palate.
Professional Ratings
Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.