Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby red in color, seductive and dark fruit aromatics of black currants, Bergamot orange and Bing cherries are noticeable up front while delicate hints of sandalwood, rose hips and sumac seasoning linger in the background. The wine possesses loads of fresh acidity with juicy, well integrated tannins that provide backbone and liveliness to the wine’s texture and balanced finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Similarly translucent ruby-colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sandy's saw 30% stems and all neutral oak. Rocking notes of ripe strawberries, autumn forest floor, salt brine, and Asian spice notes all emerge from this gorgeous effort, which is medium-bodied, with a silky texture and a fabulous finish. Complex, layered, and lengthy, it’s going to keep for a decade.
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Wine Enthusiast
Intensely candied Bing cherry aromas meet with strong herbal influence, from bay leaf to green peppercorns, on the nose of this fruity spice bomb. The palate explodes with flavors of raspberry and ripe cherry, as eucalyptus-tea tones linger deep into the finish
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made using 50% whole cluster, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sandy's is medium ruby with a layered nose, featuring cracked pepper, dried rose petal and amaro over crushed red and black berries, rhubarb, cranberry, dried tobacco leaf and an underlying herbal tone. Medium-bodied with earthy and herbal-tinged fruits, it has grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing long and spicy. 721 cases produced.
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Wine & Spirits
Dark and heady, this is direct and primary, but the wine has a savory herb note that lends a textural complexity to all that succulence, and underlines the wine’s energy and drive.
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.