Winemaker Notes
Aromas of wild cherry, crushed violets and a Rooibos tea-like note of earth and spice, complement the notes of salinity and ripe
cherry. With polished tannin and a lengthy finish, this very elegant wine shows the beauty of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the 2017 Pinot Noir Truly Rita comes from the Dierberg-Drum Canyon Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. Its medium ruby hue is followed by rocking notes of black raspberry and wild strawberry fruits, notes of flowery incense, and subtle marine-like minerality. These carry to a beautifully textured, ripe, balanced Pinot Noir that has everything you look for from this appellation. It's going to evolve for a solid decade.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Truly Rita leaps from the glass with vibrant baked raspberries, Bing cherries and wild strawberries notes, plus hints of melted chocolate, underbrush and lilacs and a waft of fertile loam. Medium-bodied, the palate is plush, juicy and evocative, with loads of red berry and earthy layers, finishing long and fragrant.
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.