This Pinot Noir has a medium-purple hue and inviting plum and black currant aromas. The blue and black fruit layers are echoed on the palate where they meld with notions of barrel spice and toast from the extended time in barrel. The texture is velvety and lush, with a finish that lingers.
The fruit was gently destemmed into small open-top fermenters, using state-of-the-art equipment and procedures to avoid any pumping of the must. Inoculation with select yeast strains followed a three-day cold soak, and the caps were managed with a combination of pump-overs and punch-downs. This wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels—44% new—which enhanced the deep color and broadened the palate of this lovely wine. It was bottled on July 7, 2022.
The season began with a warm winter, with no frost issues, and a mild spring that resulted in a nice, even fruit set. While the summer was quite warm, there were only a couple of short heat spikes, which ensured that the grapes were able to fully ripen while retaining the natural acidity we love. As a result, our crop was balanced and healthy, yielding wines with vibrant flavors and excellent depth and energy. Harvest occurred October 19, 2020.
This exceptional Pinot Noir hails from revered vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, along the northern border of Santa Barbara County. With low annual rainfall, limestone-rich marine loam soils, and a cool, coastal climate, this region offers ideal growing conditions, yielding a profoundly complex expression of Pinot Noir.
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