Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Sous le Chêne is the first vintage of this special bottling that originates from a portion of the vineyard right below a large oak tree that Parr and Moorman feel always displays very different characteristics to the rest of La Côte. It's certainly quite distinct this year, opening in the glass with a ravishingly ethereal bouquet of damson, strawberry, rose petal and peony, pure and ethereal. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, silky and expansive, with incredibly fine tannins and a long, lingering and saline finish. This is even silkier and more detailed than the regular La Côte bottling.
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.