Winemaker Notes
The nose of this deep ruby red wine offers a mix of black cherry, pomegranate, cassis, black tea, 5-spice and a hint of underbrush. Framed by a small amount of new oak, thepalate confirms a mixture of black and red fruit, cola, anise, black tea and a hint of mulling spice. Fine tannic structure, balanced acidity and a lingering finish round out theexperience. We suggest decanting for two hours before enjoying.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
This hails from the Presqu’ile estate vineyard on the cool western edge of the Santa Maria Valley, which the Murphy family planted in 2008 (one pinot noir block, planted in 2001, was already in the ground when they bought the property). Winemaker Dieter Cronje fermented this vintage with 66 percent whole clusters, the stems lending the young-vine fruit an appetizing and cleansing green edge. It’s lithe and airy, with scents of turned earth, mint and anise. Just the thing for grilled sea bass. (1,773 cases)
-
Wine Enthusiast
This bottling, which is already good but shows potential to be great, eschews overly obvious fruit aromas to instead deliver notes of peppercorns, pencil shavings and green bell pepper. The palate is powered by a lively bitterness of underripe raspberries, raw coffee beans and more green peppers, yet will probably age better than most of its vintage counterparts. Drink 2018–2024.Cellar Selection
Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.