Winemaker Notes
Chanin makes this wine when they have access to extra fruit from some of California’s best vineyards. That being said, there may not be a vintage every year. The wine was fermented in open top tanks. Punched down by hand twice a day and pressed straight into French Oak (20% new). It was aged on its lees for 14 months before being gently racked by gravity. It was bottled unfiltered four months later.
Pinot Noir is the second-most planted grape in Santa Barbara County, just behind Chardonnay. It thrives in cooler areas of the region, namely in the of the Sta. Rita Hills, which is part of Santa Barbara’s larger Santa Ynez Valley sub-appellation. Thought for decades to be too cool for viticulture, Sta. Rita Hills began to gain notoriety in the 1970’s, thanks to the pioneering work of Richard Sandford and Michael Benedict, among others.
Santa Barbara Pinot Noir dances across the palate with vivid red fruit and spice. Precision, bright acidity, elegance and fruit-driven silkiness make Santa Barbara Pinot delightfully enjoyable, whether on their own or with a variety of dishes.