Winemaker Notes
The wine shows wildly different berries (cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, loganberries) and red and black cherries, along with rhubarb, cola, and a panoply of baking spices (nutmeg, cardamom, cloves) and floral notes such as red rose and blood orange. The medium bodied wine has a silky texture and great length buoyed by great acidity and present tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lively and charming with rose hips and crushed violets, this pulses along with energetic flavors of mouthwatering raspberries and mixed cherries. A low-level hum of tilled earth and spices extends through the finish. Generous and so friendly.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Wild and classic Sta. Rita Hills red fruits, sassafras, rose, and sappy herb aromas and flavors all define the 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, which was destemmed and comes from a mix of sites throughout the appellation. Medium-bodied, fresh, and focused, it offers ripe fruit and a round, supple mouthfeel supported by rock-solid acidity. It’s beautifully done and a textbook example of this terrific region. Drink 2025-2035.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Based around Fiddlestix, Radian and La Rinconada, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills includes several vineyards that span the region and were entirely determined. A deep, dark bouquet of black cherries, black tea and turned earth is followed by a silky, rich palate that maintains vibrant energy and a gentle elasticity through the savory, earth-tinged 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.