Winemaker Notes
This Pinot Noir bursts with wild black raspberry aromas balanced by rustic and savory hints of dried herbs and baking spices. Delicate nuances of sandalwood and rose petal float in the background. The mouthfeel is driven and weighty with concentrated fruit and an expansive, complex and satiating presence. Delicious with foods like grilled salmon, rotisserie chicken, roast duck, and lamb.
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This bottling always overdelivers, and this vintage is no exception. Aromas of black raspberry, cherry, licorice and dark spices are elegant and fresh on the nose. Powdery tannins frame the palate, where a broad mouthfeel carries flavors of ripe red fruit, cinnamon, mace and dried ginger.
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.