Winemaker Notes
This is a classic, graceful wine from two distinct appellations, Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills, each providing well integrated fruit and spice with lovely notes of earthy forest floor and leather. Fine-grained, dusty tannins with excellent depth in the mid palate and bright acidity throughout maintaining beautiful balance, aged for 15 months in 30% new French oak.
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.
GCWDWPSB13_2013 Item# 154287