Winemaker Notes
Clos Pepe Vineyard is in the northern valley of the Sta. Rita Hills. Planted in sandy soils, the fruit is very deep, well structured, and shows a lot of white pepper and baking spice character.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard from Loring sports a translucent ruby color to go with classic Sta. Rita Hills spice-box, dried earth and dried flower-like aromas and flavors. With a beautiful core of red and black fruits, medium-bodied richness, integrated acidity and a great finish, it's another terrific wine from this estate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard is intensely scented of violets, licorice and black pepper over a core of cherry and blueberry preserves, plus a waft of Chinese five spice. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with baked red and blue fruits, supported by big, soft tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.
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Wine Spectator
Minerally and fresh-tasting, with good cut to the cherry, plum and minerally flavors that feature savory richness. Shows pure and lively spiciness on the finish, delivering hints of dark chocolate. Drink now through 2022.
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.