Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Just as good, if not better, the 2012 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard comes from the cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills AVA. From sandy loam soils (which is common for the region), completely destemmed and aged 18 months in all older barrels, it has a floral, underbrush-driven bouquet, with a core of sweet black raspberry and cherry blossom-styled fruit. As with all of the wines from this estate, it’s beautifully balanced, has solid underlying structure and a seamless texture that makes it hard to resist. It too can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 4-6 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
A very savory nose calls to mind mushrooms sautéed in Italian herbs, with touches of eucalyptus and licorice on the fringes. The mouthfeel is light in density, alive with acidity and tannins, tending more towards marinated black olives and charcuterie than ripe red fruits.
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.”
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.