Winemaker Notes
This vibrant Pinot Noir embodies its cool-climate roots with enticing aromas of wild strawberry, Bing cherry and plum, as well as subtle undertones of dried herb, forest floor, sweet vanilla and baking spices. On the palate, the lush red berry flavors are framed by smooth, refined tannins and a silky texture, with a tantalizing hint of bright acidity lingering on the long, focused finish.
Production
The vintage began with a cool winter, with late rains, followed by a mild spring and early summer. As the weather turned hot over Labor Day, our Pinot Noir harvest commenced, with the vast majority of the grapes picked over a 10-day period. The late-summer heat also spurred our Cabernet Sauvignon to an early harvest, with our first grapes picked on September 16th. While the impact of smoke required us to be exacting in our grape selection process in both Monterey County and Paso Robles, Southern San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County were largely unaffected. To ensure the absolute quality of our wines, only the finest grapes were used in 2020, yielding wines with great complexity and depth, generous layers of dark fruit and deep, rich colors.