Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pinot Noir Bloom's Field from Domaine de la Côte is fabulous and the most immediate of these forthcoming releases, wafting from the glass with singular aromas of nori, elderberry, black raspberry, rich soil and rose petal. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, sapid and super concentrated, with rich velvety tannins, a layered mid-palate and a long, searingly intense, saline finish. There's more iron in the soil here, which was eroded in situ—unlike the the depositional soils of Memorious, which are super concentrated—and planted with Calera, Swan & Mt. Eden selections that now all ripen at the same moment. This exceptional Pinot Noir was fermented with 100% whole cluster and matured in 45% new oak.
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.