Winemaker Notes
Presqu'ile's Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir provides a beautiful look into just how well this grape thrives in the region’s soils. Lifted notes of bing cherries, rose hips, dried orange rind, and sandalwood dominate the wine’s earth-driven palate. Pair with game, veggie burgers, or roasted chicken.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A light shade in the glass, this county cuvée offers strawberry, red plum and graham cracker aromas alongside a rusty minerality. The palate is both zippy and ripe, with cherry flavors that are cut by a fiery acidity.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the 2022 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County reveals a translucent ruby hue to go with solid aromatics of wild strawberries, black tea, funky herbs, and forest floor. It's medium-bodied, complex, has fine tannins, and lots of character. It over-delivers at the price
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.