Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sporting a pale to medium ruby-purple color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Atticus John Sebastiano Vineyard has the volume turned up on the black cherry, cranberry and pomegranate notes, with underlying suggestions of violets, charcoal, underbrush and dried lavender. Medium-bodied with a great intensity of ripe, red berry flavors, it delivers a fantastic frame of firm-grained tannins and plenty of vivacity, finishing long and layered. 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.