Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This appellation cuvée bottling really comes directly from the estate and makes for a phenomenally priced opportunity to taste one of the more exciting properties in the region. Crushed cherry, cherry pits, wild rose and crushed slate aromas make for a complex nose, and the palate falls in line with dark cherry, pepper, bay leaf and chaparral flavors.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate leads with a pretty, high-toned nose of black tea, turned earth and dried red cherry aromas. The palate is lacy and vibrant, with a succulent, electric finish that is impressive in its persistence and beautifully framed with saline, chalky energy. This is an impressive showing from an estate that has quickly made a name for itself among several of the region's top winemakers.
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.