Winemaker Notes
The 2020 SRH Pinot Noir is a deep ruby color. Delicate aromas of raspberries and violets combine with mild notes of cherry cola. Stewed Bing cherry, truffle and dried lavender complete the palate.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A light hue in the glass, this bottling hits the nose with candied pomegranate, strawberry juice and Red Hot cinnamon candy aromas. The palate is tightly woven and brisk with cranberry, raspberry and sandalwood flavors.
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.