2021 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
2021 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
93 Points - Wine Enthusiast A gorgeous portrait of Sta. Rita Hills, full of juicy red fruits, earth and spices.
Description
A classic Sta. Rita Pinot Noir featuring aromas of ripe red cherries, earth and hints of dried herbs. Red fruits follow through to the palate with bright pomegranate notes framed with supple tannins, zesty acidity and a whisper of cracked black pepper. Though approachable in its youth, a few years of maturity will certainly add nuance and complexity to this vibrant wine.
Vineyard Notes
50% Rio Vista, 22% Mount Carmel, 14% Peake Ranch, 14% Radian
This wine is a beautiful overview of the Sta. Rita Hills, combining Pinot Noir from across the temperature zones of the appellation. The Rio Vista and Peake Ranch vineyards represent the eastern end of the appellation where temperatures are slightly warmer. Radian and Mount Carmel are located further west in the heart of Sta. Rita Hills’ cool Pinot Noir zone. Marine winds and coastal fog combined with lean soils make Sta. Rita Hills ideal for the cultivation of world-class Pinot Noir.
Production Notes
Sta. Rita Hills experienced an unseasonably cool growing season in 2021, pushing back vineyard development and ripening by an average of two weeks. Our harvest kicked off on September 8, then stalled for two weeks while grapes continued to ripen. Harvest continued well into October concluding with the final harvest of Radian Pinot Noir on October 18. The long hang time has encouraged excellent flavor development, complexity and concentration. The grapes for this wine were harvested between September 8th and October 6th.
Winemaker Notes
Pinot Noir clusters for this wine were hand sorted before being de-stemmed and gravity fed to fermenters. The must was immediately chilled for a pre-fermentation cold soak where the most beneficial extraction of color, aroma and flavor occurs. During fermentation, concentration was enhanced by gentle punch-downs several times per day. The wine aged 10 months in French oak barrels with 14% new French oak and was bottled unfined and unfiltered on August 16, 2022.
| Vintage |
2021 |
| Wine Style |
Red Wine |
| Varietal |
100% Pinot Noir |
| Appellation |
Sta. Rita Hills |
| Acid |
5.85 g/l |
| PH |
3.7 |
| Alcohol % |
14.2 |
| Size |
750 ml |
