2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
Double Gold - SF Chronicle Wine Competition
The 2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills presents a striking bouquet of dark fruit aromas intermingled with accents of baking spice. A beautifully weighted palate reveals rounded flavors of raspberry, plum and black cherry with notes of dried herbs and cedar. Tangy acidity adds length to a luscious, lively finish.
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Wine Specs
Vintage
2018
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Santa Ynez Valley
Acid
.62
pH
3.45
Aging
22 months in French oak barrels (25% new)
Alcohol %
14.2
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
The 2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills presents a striking bouquet of dark fruit aromas intermingled with accents of baking spice. A beautifully weighted palate reveals rounded flavors of raspberry, plum and black cherry with notes of dried herbs and cedar. Tangy acidity adds length to a luscious, lively finish.
Vineyard Notes
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA unfolds along the rolling coastal hills of Santa Barbara County, just west of the Brick Barn estate. Here, the nearby Pacific Ocean exerts a profound marine influence that flows inland via the west-to-east “transverse” mountain ranges. The fog, wind and high-calcium soils of Sta. Rita Hills combine to form one of the world’s best cool-climate viticultural areas for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 2019, we partnered with one of the region’s premier vineyard sites to source Pinot Noir fruit spanning multiple clones. This site is located in the heart of Sta. Rita Hills, where the AVA’s signature attributes prevail in full force. The resulting wine showcases all of the world-class qualities for which Sta. Rita Hills is renowned.
Winemaker Notes
The fruit was harvested by hand in the cool pre-dawn hours to ensure pure fruit integrity. After harvesting, the majority of the grapes were destemmed and cold soaked for a gentle extraction of color and flavor. The must was fermented in open-top bins with manual punchdowns three times daily—a small-lot winemaking regimen designed to maximize fruit quality and expression. The wine was then aged for 22 months in French oak barrels featuring 25 percent new oak, bringing added texture and dimension to the palate.
Food Pairing Notes
The rounded, integrated character of the 2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills makes a fine match for midweight fare, including herb-marinated lamb chops, beef bourguignon and cedar plank salmon.