Winemaker Notes
The 2022 OLG Pinot Noir pours a dark persimmon core with a lucid rose hip rim. Laden with elegant aromatics, notes of bright raspberry, bing cherry and Pinot funk develop into darker tones of black cherry, mocha and mahogany. On the palate, the entry is scrumptiously soft with cranberry crunch, ripe strawberry, redcurrant and a touch of maritozzo. Typical of the Sta. Rita Hills, the finish is lined with minerality and some saline hints with closing touches of fennel and anise.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Early in the year, I began interviewing Dave Phinney for an article that appeared in the March 2023 print issue of Decanter, and while we talked about Our Lady of Guadalupe, his vineyard project in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County, I had yet to taste the wines. When I finally did, late this year, it was a rewarding experience. They boast Phinney's characteristically opulent style with a raging river of bright, ripe fruit flavours. Still, they are uncharacteristic of Phinney with alcohol levels under 15% and bear a remarkable freshness, imbued with the region's classic high natural acidity. Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard (OLG) was acquired in 2015. After two years of composting, vines went into the ground in 2018, and plantings continued in phases. Nearly half of the large estate is planted on varying slopes and aspects. Aged 10 months in 49% new French oak, with a 3.76pH and 14.8% alcohol, the 2022 leads with a more savoury profile than the inaugural 2021 release (also a fabulous wine). Alluring candied cherry notes are scented with expressive cedarwood laced with fragrant cumin and flamed orange peel. A polished wine on entry with silky textured fruit so pure and so ripe and bright and perfectly expressive of black cherry, black plum, Red Delicious apple, and layers of baking spices. Satiny tannins glide up against a juicy acid profile, building to a finish of cocoa nib nuances and fresh garrigue notes. Juicy, structured, and delicious, it leaves one in a perpetual state of wanting for more. Phinney's team includes Amy Whiteford, director of viticulture, Chris Hussy, assistant winemaker, and Mike Testa, the vineyard manager. Our Lady of Guadalupe is unquestionably one to watch as the vines mature. Number eight of my top 10 wines of 2023.
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Wine Enthusiast
Combining herbaceous elements with a richer frame, this is an exciting early release for this vineyard that straddles the western edge of the already cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills, where it's blasted directly by Pacific fog and winds. Aromas of brambleberry, seared rosemary and smoked herb lead from the nose into a savory palate of black pepper, clove, menthol and roasted mulberry.
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.