Winemaker Notes
Offering immediate drinking pleasure without sacrificing the complexity and nuance that makes this grape so compelling. A wine brimming with seductive fruit alluring aromas and supple tannins. The consummate overachiever.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Youthful fruit is still coming into its own, but it’s already starting to flesh out with flavors of rhubarb compote, mixed berries and bergamot. A dusting of oak duff in the background provides a compelling counterpoint to rose hips, woodsy spice and minerals. Very long on the generous finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Readers will love the 2023 Pinot Noir, and it's a smoking value in classy California Pinot. Medium ruby-hued, with ripe red fruits, peppery herbs, spice, and floral notes, it's medium-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and outstanding length.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Pinot Noir is an exceptional value and a strong representation of Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir. It is pure, dark-fruited and subtly woody on the nose, followed by a deep, remarkably refined palate and a savory finish that lingers with the black tea-like tannins that define the region.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir is a friendly, approachable wine with exotic spice, waxy red-apple peel and hints of dark cherry pit notes. Bright and cheerful, the 2023 boasts an upright structure and a sense of weightlessness. Lovely.
The vineyard and winemaking team behind Jonata & The Hilt Estate present The Paring; a focused collection of wines with a goal to craft an honest and delicious bottle of wine for every occasion and table.
o In kitchens around the world, the Paring knife has become a chef’s staple for its versatility. The Paring wines were created with this same intent. Full of vibrance, complexity, and versatility, the wines are a perfect compliment to every occasion.
o The Paring Wines are sourced primarily from our estate vineyards in Ballard Canyon & Santa Rita Hills and trusted vineyards in Northern California to produce wines that are a true expression of classic California style. Blocks from the select vineyards are designated for The Paring ahead of harvest and made with the same intention and care that goes into the wines of Jonata & The Hilt Estate.
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.