Winemaker Notes
Our 2015 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir offers what we consider the hallmarks of our AVA: balance, complexity and the ever-present "Santa Maria spice". We prize the complex combination of fruit, earth and spice, the qualities which made us fall in love with this region. When compared to our single vineyard offerings, this wine is less tightly wound, offering early enjoyment without lacking the bones to age.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Heirloom tomatoes, tomato leaf, green olives, wild berries and green peppercorns make for a very herbal though entirely compelling expression of cool climate Pinot Noir. The green-pepper and tomato character carries onto the sip, delivering a very interesting wine though one that many seeking a riper style will not enjoy.
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.
GPS205118_2015 Item# 417462