Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Always a great value, the 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands reveals a vibrant ruby hue as well as ripe cherry and strawberry fruit intermixed with notes of shiitake mushroom, dried herbs, and some meaty, earthy notes. It's a slightly more finesse-driven wine than some of the single vineyards and is beautifully balanced, has good acidity, and unquestionably plays in the same qualitative ballpark as all of these releases.
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Wine Enthusiast
This appellation blend offers aromas of candied red cherry, strawberry and mint on the nose. The palate packs fresh, zesty and ripe red fruit with a complex array of herbs and spices, from tarragon and chamomile to marjoram, sage and aniseed. Editors’ Choice.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands comes from five vineyards: Rosella's, Garys', Sierra Mar, Soberanes and Pisoni. Aged in 44% new French oak for 10 months, it has a medium ruby-purple color and a nose of charcuterie and bright red berries with touches of dried citrus peel, amaro and tar. It’s medium-bodied, bright and lifted with loads of spicy character, a soft, grainy frame and long, vibrant finish.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
From its inviting aromas of cherries and red plums to its easy-toget-at, insistently juicy flavors, this affable offering gets good marks for fruity clarity throughout, and, if a tad less weighty and not quite as complex as its single-site mates, it is still a fairly full, very well-balanced Pinot that hits the varietal mark smartly. That it will age nicely for several years is certain, but, of the Roar bunch, it is the one that we would opt to drink first while allowing the others more cellar time.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.