Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Complant Santa Lucia Highlands Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir has a cherry red color and a nose of pomegranate, cranberry and raspberry bramble. On the palate, it has a savory, almost briny entry which transitions to cranberry and pomegranate flavors with a slight grip on the finish. The wine has an unusual combination of lacy texture coupled with an incredible persistence on the palate. The flavors linger long after the wine leaves the mouth. With time in the glass, the nose continues to evolve and expresses sea breeze and bing cherry.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.