Winemaker Notes
Elegant and balanced; this Pinot Noir is bursting with red fruits, but has a mild earth and leather undertone.
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This Pinot Noir is crafted in a deliciously herbal style, starting with aromas of wet sage, bay leaf and eucalyptus that give impressive edge to the cranberry and raspberry elements. The palate is laden in terpene-like flavors of bay leaf and seaweed, with cranberry and blood orange touches clinging to chalky tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Kick-on Ranch is a translucent, featherweight expression of Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir. The nose is delicate and pure, driven by dried red fruits, bright spices and dried herbs that introduce a beautifully textured, vibrant, silky palate. It finishes on a straightforward, grainy, earth-tinged note that feels slightly clipped in this vintage, but the aromatic and textural precision here is impressive.
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.