Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Mulberry, cherry, iron, raw beef and roasted pork aromas make for a gamy entry to this bottling, which also shows bay leaf and sage on the nose. Those sagebrush qualities are strong on the palate, which is reminiscent of an Asian-spiced meat dish, with rhubarb and pomegranate lending freshness.
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Wine Spectator
A refined red, with a silky mouthfeel and flavors of cherry, plum tart and dried currant that are creamy and plush. The spicy finish is pure-tasting and filled with lively minerality. Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I have always found a lot of personality in the Wild Horse Cheval Sauvage Pinot Noirs. The wines have often shown an attractive mix of fruit and earth. The 2013 vintage is quite complex and delivers the excellence that I come to expect. TASTING NOTES: This wine, not a simple fruit bomb, provides delicious wine pleasures. Its aromas and flavors of ripe berries and chalky earth that should pair nicely with a spit-roasted leg of lamb. (Tasted: August 23, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.