Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Composed of fruit from heritage pinot clones on a west-facing, windswept vineyard, Bloom’s Field is perhaps the most savory of the Domaine de la Côte pinot lineup. The fruit isn’t shy, but it reads as a kind of smoky strawberry compote, with notes of herbs, bay and olive leaf. It’s sanguine and energetic; for smoked trout.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Bloom's Field has a medium ruby color and a nose of raspberries and blackberries with touches of dried flowers and iron. The palate is silky, perfumed and light on its feet, with loads of nuanced flavor layers and a long, ethereal finish.
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.