Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Leading off the Pinot Noirs, the 2015 Pinot Noir spent 10 months in French oak and comes from close to equal amounts the Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada Vineyards. It has textbook Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir notes of ripe black cherries and raspberries, peppery herbs, dried soil/earthy notes, and loads of spice. Pure, elegant and loaded with upfront fruit, it's an impeccably balanced, pretty wine to drink over the coming 4-5 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.