Winemaker Notes
Enjoy this wine with duck breast, braised veal shanks and other savory meat courses.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Mr. Rick Longoria, what can I say? I have known him for more two decades and he is working it hard. He is a true friend of the varietal. The 2013 Longoria Lovely Rita Pinot Noir exhibits plenty of red fruit aroma and flavors, touched with a hint of savory herbs in the finish. Drinks really well now; great with rosemary-infused leg of lamb. It is good to see that Rick is staying with his dream to make the best pinot noirs that he can.
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.