Winemaker Notes
Dark red hue. Complex scents of ripe cherry pie, orange, sage, marmalade jam, and vanilla bean leap out of the glass. With aeration, notes of roasted strawberry, chokecherry, and ripe cranberry continue the excitement of this Pinot Noir blend. As the aromas continue to get more complex, the flavors become more focused once on the palate with red fruits and citrus elements. Fine tannins provide precise texture, while the modest acidity reinforces the fruit profiles. This wine ends with an intricate, vibrant, and persistent path. Enjoy now through 2030.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Muddy clay and foggy fennel-frond aromas met with wild, dark and dry berries on the nose of this solid appellation blend. The palate begins on the ripe front, showing berry and cherry before the sagebrush and menthol character comes through.
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.