Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Bright and piercing, offering a mix of black cherry, damson plum and raspberry coulis notes laced with savory, singed sandalwood, red tea and iron details. A light stem hint through the lengthy, pure finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Memorious has a bit of everything a Pinot Noir lover could want: poise, focus, vibrancy and subtle structural power. The nose straddles red and black berries with a flashy but measured intensity, leading to a lacy palate that combines electric energy with seductive, subtle richness. The finish is ethereal and long, framed with weightless tannins and recalling the energy found throughout.
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.