Winemaker Notes
Showcasing classic Sta. Rita hills characteristics, the 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir is a great example of the outstanding terroir-driven wines that this area can produce. Enticing aromas of bright red cherries, red raspberries and cola jump from the glass while, on the palate, flavors of black cherry and cinnamon blend with velvety tannins for an elegant, silky mouth feel.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pinot Noir Reserve has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and nose of sliced blueberries, mixed berry preserves, red licorice, dried cranberry, Earl Grey tea leaves, tangerine peel, earth and violets—lots of pretty layers. Light to medium-bodied, it's very silky, with elegant, floral-tinged fruits in the mouth, ripe, grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing long and perfumed.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Pinot Noir Reserve is similar to the Santa Barbara release yet has a slightly darker edge to its fruit as well as more density. Black raspberries, toasted spices, subtle oak, and dried earth notes all emerge from this medium-bodied, nicely concentrated effort that will drink well for 4-6 years.
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.