Winemaker Notes
Capturing the region with its wonderful balance, vibrancy, and richness this Santa Barbara County offering has beautiful complexity with a mélange of red fruit, blood orange, juicy red plum, earthy undertones alongside baking spices, floral notes, wild herbs, and hints of crushed rock. The wine offers pure varietal identity with layered complexities from each site, good concentration, and lovely freshness supported by a silky texture completing the wines seamless length.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County has broody aromas of kirsch, pomegranate, blueberry, forest floor, potpourri and touches of blood orange. The medium-bodied palate offers highly concentrated fruits supported by abundant, grainy tannins, seamless acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The appellation 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County is a beauty and certainly holds up to the single vineyard releases. Medium-bodied, ripe, balanced, and graceful on the palate, it has complex, spice-laced aromas and flavors of black cherries, leather, spice cabinet, and tea leaves. I love its balance, and it’s a seamless Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir from a great winemaker that readers will love. This cuvée comes from the Zotovich, La Encantada, and Sanford & Benedict vineyards, was completely destemmed, and spent 15 months in 25% 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.