Winemaker Notes
With a deep, dark color, and blueberry, blackberry and earth aromas and flavors, this wine is full on the palate with firm yet balanced tannins. This wine pairs beautifully with a tomato tart tatin or a pork roast served with cherry sauce, complementing both dishes with its depth and complexity.
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the most expensive in the lineup, the 2015 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Julia's Vineyard is another wine from Julia’s Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and spent 14 months in 32% new French oak. Deep ruby/purple-colored, with some obvious oak in its smoky black fruits, crushed rocks, violets, and spice-driven aromas and flavors, it's medium-bodied, has terrific purity, and a fresh, focused style. Give bottles a few years and it should shine for a decade.
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.