Winemaker Notes
Enjoy this wine with Mediterranean dishes such as Eggplant Moussaka or Lamb Shish Kebab with Pinot Noir sauce.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Rick Longoria has been making age-worthy Pinot Noir since the 1980s, and this bottling fits right into that legacy. Aromas of black plum, damp forest floor and pine wood lead into a structurally sound, very dry palate of boysenberry, tarragon, dill and smoke.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Delicate and minerally, with cherry, currant and plum flavors that are full of savory richness. Balanced acidity frames the spicy finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The least expensive effort is the 2016 Pinot Noir Lovely Rita, which comes mostly from the Fe Ciega Vineyard (there’s smaller amounts from La Encantada and Sanford & Benedict) that spent 11 months in 14% new French oak. It has classic cherry and red currant fruits, plenty of leafy herbs and underbrush, medium body, and a balanced, delicious, charming style. It’s an outstanding, classic expression of the Sta. Rita Hills.
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.