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Varietal
Pinot Noir
Vintage
2018
Bien Nacido
Vintage
2018
Appellation
Santa Maria Valley
Appellation
Santa Maria Valley
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Tasting NotesThe Bien Nacido Pinot Noir has a light garnet color. The nose is delicate and enticing, offering elegant aromas of rose petal, cranberry and raspberry. On the palate, mouth-watering tannins and bright acidity frame juicy red berry and raspberry flavors, with a touch of cedar adding nuance to the long, full finish.
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Wine OriginBecause the 2018 growing season was one of naturally high yields, we worked closely with our grower partners to thin the fruit in order to bring each vineyard into ideal balance. In general, 2018 was a late harvest, and the clusters ripened slowly. We picked on September 18th, 2018. Because Bien Nacido is an 8-hour drive from our winery, the grapes were transported in a refrigerated truck to ensure they arrived in pristine condition.
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Production NotesThe fruit was gently destemmed into small open-top fermenters, using state-of-the-art equipment and procedures to avoid any pumping of must. Inoculation with select yeast strains followed a three-day cold soak, and the caps were managed with a combination of pump-overs and punch-downs. This wine was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, 46% of which were new. This enhanced the deep color and broadened the palate of this lovely wine, which was bottled July 25th, 2019.
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Winemaker NotesFirst planted in 1973, the famed Bien Nacido Vineyard is widely recognized as one of California’s greatest vineyards, and one of the New World’s grand cru-caliber winegrowing sites. Located in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Maria Valley, its unique location features one of the only transverse (east to west) mountain ranges in the U.S. This funnels cool air in off the Pacific, making the region one of the coolest appellations in California, while also providing one of the longest growing seasons. Our block of Bien Nacido is planted to Clone 667 Pinot Noir, grown in well-drained shale and sandstone soils.