2024 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
2024 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Description
58% Rio Vista, 21% Peake Ranch, 7% Fiddlestix, 7 % John Sebastiano, 7% Sanford & BenedictClones: Calera, 4, 115, 667, 943
This wine showcases the vibrant personality of Pinots from this world-class appellation. Classic earthy aromatics are complimented by scents of black cherry and fresh sage. Smooth tannins and bright acidity set the stage for red fruit flavors of plums and wild strawberries. A long finish of dark coffee and black olives linger pleasantly on the pallet. Though very approachable in its youth, this wine will continue to improve with additional cellaring.
Vineyard Notes
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, John Sebastiano and Peake Ranch vineyards represent the eastern end of the appellation where temperatures are slightly warmer. Fiddlestix and Sanford & Benedict 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
Despite the ample winter rains clearing salts from the soil and replenishing ground water, yields were low due to cold and windy weather at bud initiation about 16 months prior to this year’s harvest. While low yields are difficult for our growers, this leads to higher quality with advanced phenolic maturity with moderate sugar development, a result of the long, cool spring and summer. A five-day post Labor Day heat event which raised temperatures into the nineties in the Sta. Rita Hills quickly pushed some blocks to harvest ripeness. Grapes were harvested between September 5th and 25th.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 7% new oak. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered on August 14, 2025.| Vintage | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Wine Style | Red Wine |
| Varietal | 100% Pinot Noir |
| Appellation | Sta. Rita Hills |
| Harvest Date | September 5th-25th, 2024 |
| Bottling Date | August 14, 2025 |
| Alcohol % | 13.8 |
| Size | 750 ml |