Tantara Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
One of the newest wineries in Santa Barbara County, Tantara is dedicated to producing the very finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Our wine is vineyard designated from such growers as Bien Nacido, Talley, Pisoni and Laetitia.
In 1999 we planted ten acres of Pinot Noir and two acres of Syrah, which will bring our own vineyard holding to about fifteen acres when these new plantings come on-line in 2003. This fruit will then make up our estate bottling.
Also, we are happy to announce that we are in our new home. Thanks to the faith and support of Bien Nacido Vineyard, we are the proud inhabitants of our renovated barn, located on the beautiful Bien Nacido Vineyard. We are very fortunate to have secured this location.
Because of our commitment to detail and the finite amount of fruit that meets our standards, total production will be limited.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.