Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir is crafted from 40 year old Pommard Clone vines in Block Q at Bien Nacido Vineyards. This bottling is a unique snapshot of Santa Barbara history, some of the oldest surviving Pinot Noir vines in the county. This lot was picked in two lots, separating the fruit on the upper and lower portion of the hillside. The fruit was 70% destemmed, cold soaked for 4 days, and fermented with native yeasts, and aged for 16 months. 13.2% alcohol. 118 cases produced
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Giugni finds Block Q at Bien Nacido to be his most self-regulated site. The aromatics are at once classic and exotic, with scents of black tea and sea wrack, turned earth and plum. Giugni’s fidelity to acidity creates an acid-tannin matrix, giving the wine grace and lift. It’s the sort of wine you’ll want to try more than once over the course of its life; buy a few bottles to cellar.
Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.