Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Votre Santé Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara exudes a beautiful fragrance that’s highly floral in nature. Scents of raspberries, blackberries, tea leaves, and rose petals are followed by a tapestry of complex flavors that include wild strawberries, pomegranate, and cloves. There is a good amount of spicy oak to frame the fruit along with light tannins. The wine finishes long, evolving in the glass with each sip.
Pinot Noir is the second-most planted grape in Santa Barbara County, just behind Chardonnay. It thrives in cooler areas of the region, namely in the of the Sta. Rita Hills, which is part of Santa Barbara’s larger Santa Ynez Valley sub-appellation. Thought for decades to be too cool for viticulture, Sta. Rita Hills began to gain notoriety in the 1970’s, thanks to the pioneering work of Richard Sandford and Michael Benedict, among others.
Santa Barbara Pinot Noir dances across the palate with vivid red fruit and spice. Precision, bright acidity, elegance and fruit-driven silkiness make Santa Barbara Pinot delightfully enjoyable, whether on their own or with a variety of dishes.