Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir has notes of cranberry, pomegranate, Bing cherry, tobacco leaf, vanilla and cola spice. Medium bodied, bright acidity, and firm tannins.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Rounded aromas of roasted red cherry and peppery herbs invite the nose into this bottling. The palate is tense and complex, combining cracked pepper, toasted herb and pomegranate flavors.
-
Tasting Panel
Aromatically expressive with scents of red and black cherry accented by spicy undertones and the note of tomato leaf that often results from whole-cluster fermentation. Stylishly light in color and weight, this wine still offers plenty of flavor-thankfully without any excess oak or sweetness that doesn't seem to emanate from the fruit.
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.