Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Double L Pinot Noir is rich yet energetic. Aromas of wild cherry, spring flowers, Christmas spice, and forest floor are supported on the palate by red fruit, with a hint of sweet herbs and damp earth. This wine features a medium body, with lithe and elegant tannins.
An exquisite match for duck confit or prime rib.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich black cherry aromas are cut by minty cocoa and a wet-slate minerality on the nose of this always excellent bottling, which is made from organic grapes. The palate retains both density and brightness, offering ripe strawberry and raspberry flavors with plenty of nutmeg and mace spices.
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James Suckling
Plush and polished aromas of mixed cherries and berries with a subtle floral lift and an elegantly savory core. These precede an expressive and balanced palate, with the wild berries, blood oranges, herb tea and spices remaining harmonious through the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Pinot Noir Double L Vineyard offers up a pleasing bouquet of floral, savory and woody aromas that exude a poise and weightlessness that is rare in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The palate is silky and high-toned, striking a beautiful balance between spry energy and soft, alluring richness through the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and direct, with maraschino cherry and mulled plum notes forming the core, backed by subtle anise and wood spice accents on the gently toasted finish. Drink now through 2026. 1,308 cases made.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.