Winemaker Notes
A brooding and fruit forward version of Bentrock with blackberry and black cherry and creme de cassis. Leads with an attack of luxardo cherry with cedar, menthol and a hint of black plum skin. Explosive burst of pure mulberry followed by classic notes of blood orange. Expansive and surprisingly elegant. Long note of English Breakfast tea. A very powerful example from this site. Showcasing the warmth from early October with its powerful yet polished depth of dark fruit. Characteristic Bentrock finish with fine grained tannins that will gracefully reward time in the cellar. Perfect ratio of fruit to freshness to structural integrity. Nothing is out of place here.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Slightly deep ruby/purple-hued and nearly opaque, the 2023 Pinot Noir Bentrock Vineyard shows gorgeous purity, with black raspberries, hints of cassis, graphite, smoky oak, and subtle floral notes. Medium-bodied and layered on the palate, it’s flawlessly balanced, with ripe tannins and a great finish. Simply brilliant, it should drink well over the coming decade or more. Drink 2025-2035.
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James Suckling
Concentrated and silky with a fine-grained, persistent tannic structure nestled against purple fruit, Amarena cherries, bittersweet herbal liqueur and crushed rocks, finishing salty on the impressively long finish. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Bentrock Vineyard is powerful and intense, yet closed and inward today. Broad and mouth-coating, it's packed with savory notes of cedar, tobacco leaf, gravel, crushed rocks and chalk that frame the reticent dark cherry and cocoa-tinged fruit. The 2023 was done with fully destemmed fruit, which was the right choice, because it's a ball of minerality as is. The 30% new French oak integrates seamlessly into the wine's fabric. I'm optimistic for the future, but the 2023 needs to blow off some steam.
Rating: 94+
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.