Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Pinot Noir hails from La Encantada (Sta. Rita Hills AVA), Garey’s (Santa Maria AVA), and Solomon Hills (Santa Maria AVA) vineyards in California’s esteemed Santa Barbara County. Inside the bottle are Pinot Noir clones 115, 667 and 23. The wine was fermented from native yeasts for 10 days. The wine was then pressed directly into French oak barrels (15% new, 85% neutral), where it hibernated untouched for 12 months.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Major Wines Pinot Noir comes across with power and persistence. Yet, it stays racy and elegant in the finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine explodes in the aroma with ripe, black fruit, and savory spices. It finishes pleasingly elegant with a refined, purity of red fruit. Pair it with a highly-spiced, roast leg of lamb. (Tasted: June 16, 2020, 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.
BURM7PN2017_2017 Item# 634521