Winemaker Notes
From the upper plantings at the La Rinconada Vineyard, neighboring the famous Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, consisting of deep, dark, rocky soils. This is a selection of Mt. Eden cuttings that Richard Sanford brought down from Northern California years ago.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Noir La Rinconada Vineyard is another captivating wine from Racines. Blood orange, red cherry fruit, mint, spice, chalk and white pepper all open in the glass. The 70% whole clusters work beautifully with the wine's natural personality. Bright saline notes extend the dynamic finish effortlessly. This is a very, very pretty wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Pinot Noir La Rinconada Vineyard opens with a roundly delicate, elegant nose that combines black cherry, chalk dust and dried herb aromas. The palate straddles silky, lifted focus and darker, refined depth within a gently polished texture. The finish centers on a weightlessly chalky yet subtly chewy spine that lingers with impressive length.
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Wine Spectator
A taut and focused version, with a mix of smoldering red tea, singed alder and dried rose petal notes infusing its core of mouthwatering red currant and mulberry coulis. Shows great tension through the finish
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.