Winemaker Notes
For this, our top-of-the-line bottling, we blend our best barrels from our best vineyards. Our goal is to achieve balance and complexity in a graceful and elegant, yet compelling and complete expression of Pinot Noir from our region.
"HIGHLINER" is a barrel selection (70% new French oak) of maritime-cooled vineyards in Santa Barbara County, combining the forward fruit and richness of the Santa Maria Valley, with the earthiness and structure of fruit from the Sta. Rita Hills. The blend of vineyards can change with each vintage depending on which ones produce the best of the best for that particular growing season.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Hefty aromas of blackberry and mulberry are spiced by menthol and fennel pollen, and given complexity by a prosciutto-like savory quality on the nose of this bottling. The palate combines pomegranate, dried plum and purple-flower flavors.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Highliner is Hitching Post's top Pinot Noir. The 2015 vintage lives up to that billing. TASTING NOTES: This wine is rich, yet balanced and fulfilling. TASTING NOTES: This is a complete effort. Its aromas and flavors of red fruit and dried leather show up with excellent intensity. Pair its richness with a grilled ribeye. (Tasted: August 20, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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.