Winemaker Notes
Fresh red and dark cherry fill the nose with hints of forest floor. The palate is rich, yet delicate and lasting.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A terrific Pinot Noir, Storm's 2013 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County comes from three vineyards, Duvarita, John Sebastiano and Presqu’ile. Seeing just 10% whole clusters, 14 days on skins and 11 months in 8% new French oak, it offers terrific depth and length to go with classic rose petals, strawberries, underbrush and raspberry aromas and flavors. Balanced, medium-bodied and classy all around, drink this beautiful Santa Barbara County Pinot anytime over the coming 4-5 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Cherry, licorice, stemmy spice, turned earth and Earl Grey tea elements show on the nose of this wine from a vineyard west of the Sta. Rita Hills and only six miles from the Pacific Ocean. It's light in body, with flavors of thyme, pepper spice, kalamata olive and cranberry fruit proving tart and tight.
Pinot Noir is the second-most planted grape in Santa Barbara County, just behind Chardonnay. It thrives in cooler areas of the region, namely in the of the Sta. Rita Hills, which is part of Santa Barbara’s larger Santa Ynez Valley sub-appellation. Thought for decades to be too cool for viticulture, Sta. Rita Hills began to gain notoriety in the 1970’s, thanks to the pioneering work of Richard Sandford and Michael Benedict, among others.
Santa Barbara Pinot Noir dances across the palate with vivid red fruit and spice. Precision, bright acidity, elegance and fruit-driven silkiness make Santa Barbara Pinot delightfully enjoyable, whether on their own or with a variety of dishes.
GARSMPNSB13_2013 Item# 156738