Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This monopole bottling from the coveted biodynamic vineyard begins with lush, intense and inviting aromas of dark boysenberry paste, wild mint, star anise and shaved nutmeg. The palate is bright with acidity yet redolent with dark-berry and black-currant flavors that give way to cola, mace and more exotic spices toward the finish.
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Tasting Panel
This vintage marks the 20th anniversary of the Biodynamic Sea Smoke estate vineyard, which boasts ten Pinot Noir clones grown on three soil types at a range of elevations. Barrel-aged for 16 months in French oak (28% new), it expresses a deep, dark perfume of cardamom and tilled soil elevated by rose petals. Black raspberry, graphite, anise, and espresso bean shade in the big-boned structure as a finish of Chinese five spice seasons the fine tannins.
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.