Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Plump and ripe cherries and berries pop on the nose of this block designate, as do damp tea leaves and dewy sagebrush aromas. The palate is perky with crisp and pure red-cherry flavors that appeal to the hedonistic side, while the pine needle and minty tarragon tones inspire intellectual enjoyment.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Anna's Block is especially fragrant this vintage, with sweet raspberry and blood orange accented by scents of Angostura bitters, iron and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh with compelling floral character, and it finishes long with broody mineral tones. It will benefit from another few years in bottle. Rating: 95+
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Pinot Noir Anna's Block is more reserved and has a distinct marine influence in its darker cherry, herbs, black tea, and seaside-like nuances. It too is medium to full-bodied, has beautiful concentration, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Rating: 94+
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.