This 2017 vintage of our Notorious Pinot Noir is lush and exploding with flavor, thanks to amazing weather of the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, California during the growing season. The grapes come from Dijon Clone 667, which tends to produce dense clusters with vivid color and soft, ample tannins. Grown by acclaimed Pinot Noir farmer, Louis Lucas, this land consistently produces prize-winning Pinot Noir grapes. In fact, the 2016 vintage of this very wine won us a Double Gold Medal at the 2019 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition! The soils vary from clay and gravel river deposits to hillside and hilltop sites reminiscent of the great vineyards of Burgundy. These valley vineyards benefit from a rare transverse mountain range topography, an east-west orientation which channels the cool ocean air of the Pacific into the coastal valleys, allowing warm days and cool nights to produce a long, gentle growing season. The fruit was hand-harvested and sorted by cluster to guarantee that only premium grapes made it into the barrels. The wine was then allowed to soak on the skins until the natural fermentation began. This wine was aged sur-lie in French oak barrels for 11 months before bottling.

We suggest pairing this wine with pork, salmon, roasted poultry, or creamy cheeses, like Bucheron and aged goat. 

Tasting Notes: Full-bodied with juicy notes of cranberry, ripe plum, rhubarb, mocha, and pepper.