Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Loner Pinot Noir R13 A, from the John Sebastiano vineyard, is another back-vintage stunner from Sanguis. Winemaker Matthias Pippig says, "The whole approach to this wine is as stripped down as possible, whereas with our other wines, we can play around and do co-ferments. With this, we pick the same blocks in two or three passes to get more aromatic range and textural components. Other than that, there's no winemaking. Zero new oak. Just a representation of where it's from. We use about 30% whole cluster and funky clones, trying to push things into an area where the fruit gets toned down."
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.