Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
From its fragrant wild strawberries bathed in tilled soil to aromas of spiced oak, the aromatics alone are inspirational. Brambly cranberry is juicy to the core. This Pinot has an innate freshness revved by high-toned acidity. It finishes with the romance of rose petals and Italian herbs.
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Decanter
Ripe raspberry, strawberry, and Bing cherry debut with swirls of vanilla and vibrant acidity. Bright, complex and brimming with fresh, forward fruit and easy-going spice, this bottle brings the best of four distinct Santa Lucia Highland vineyards together in a display of balance and remarkable integration.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fresh carnation and raspberry are spiced up with peppercorns, smashed asphalt and turned earth on the complex nose of this bottling. The palate is quite cohesive in flavors of roasted cherry and ripe strawberry, with fennel pollen, crushed slate and baking spice adding depth.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.