Winemaker Notes
Swan clone – 100% whole cluster in a small, open top fermenter; Other clones - whole-berry destemmed in to small, open-top fermenters as individual clonal lots.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Moving south to the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2018 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard comes from a mix of clones and was partially destemmed and aged in just under 40% new French oak. It has a pure, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced style as well as lots of classy darker berry fruits, toasted spices, loamy earth, and sappy herb-like aromas and flavors. It's another balanced, impeccably put together Pinot Noir from this estate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard has a pale ruby-purple color and offers deep red fruits with accents of dried herbs, forest floor and savory spices. The medium-bodied palate is spicy and floral, grainy and fresh, with an appealing saline-driven finish. Best After 2022
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.