Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Rusack Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir is a wonderful expression of what the area’s cooler climate wines can be. Packed with bright juicy notes of strawberries, raspberries, and caramel, this wine also has subtle hints of orange meringue. Firm acidity and an elegant balance make for a very approachable, food friendly, wine.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the value-priced 2017 Pinot Noir (100% Pinot Noir aged 11 months in 31% new French oak) offers a medium ruby color as well as a pretty perfume of mulled cherry and raspberry fruits, spice, potpourri, and underbrush. It's medium-bodied, with a silky texture, beautiful balance, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years.
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.