

Typicite
2023 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey
This Pinot Noir blend is crafted from a selection of grapes sourced from several distinguished properties on the north and middle parts of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The northern sites contribute vibrant, concentrated fruit flavors, while the middle areas add depth and complexity. Each vineyard benefits from the region's cool, coastal climate and diverse soil types, which together offer a range of flavors and textures. The north-side vineyards typically impart bright red fruit and oral notes, whereas the middle-region sites bring rich, earthy undertones and balanced acidity. The combination of these unique elements creates a harmonious and multifaceted Pinot Noir, reflecting the diverse terroir of the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Profile
Palate: The palate is vibrant, layered, and beautifully structured, delivering a complex tapestry of fruit, earth, and spice. Bright red fruit flavors (cherry, raspberry, cranberry) from the northern sites are balanced by the deeper fruit and rich, earthy undertones (forest floor, spice, mineral) from the middle regions. The peppery and savory notes from the whole cluster carry through, adding complexity throughout the palate. The oak is seamlessly integrated, providing a subtle backdrop of spice and texture. A defining characteristic is the vibrant, refreshing acidity (contributed by both regions, particularly the middle), which provides energy and length, balancing the wine's richness and making it incredibly lively and harmonious on the palate.
Visual: The aroma is highly aromatic, lifted, and complex, beautifully expressing the diverse terroir of the Santa Lucia Highlands blend. It opens with a harmonious blend of bright red and darker fruit notes: the north sites likely contribute vibrant red cherry, wild strawberry, and bright raspberry, while the middle sites add depth with hints of black cherry and plum. Classic Pinot Noir earthy notes from the middle regions are prominent: forest floor, damp soil, and a subtle mineral or crushed rock character. The 30% whole cluster inclusion adds significant layers: distinctive black pepper and white pepper spice, a captivating floral lift (violet, rose petal) potentially from the north sites, and a subtle savory or green stem note. The 50% new French oak is well-integrated, contributing elegant notes of warm baking spice (clove, cinnamon), vanilla bean, and a refined touch of cedar or toast. The overall nose is layered, evolving, and deeply intriguing.
Nose: The aroma is highly aromatic, lifted, and complex, beautifully expressing the diverse terroir of the Santa Lucia Highlands blend. It opens with a harmonious blend of bright red and darker fruit notes: the north sites likely contribute vibrant red cherry, wild strawberry, and bright raspberry, while the middle sites add depth with hints of black cherry and plum. Classic Pinot Noir earthy notes from the middle regions are prominent: forest floor, damp soil, and a subtle mineral or crushed rock character. The 30% whole cluster inclusion adds significant layers: distinctive black pepper and white pepper spice, a captivating floral lift (violet, rose petal) potentially from the north sites, and a subtle savory or green stem note. The 50% new French oak is well-integrated, contributing elegant notes of warm baking spice (clove, cinnamon), vanilla bean, and a refined touch of cedar or toast. The overall nose is layered, evolving, and deeply intriguing.
Winemaker notes
Hand harvested.
Sorted and destemmed with 30% whole clusters added to fermenters.
Fermented in open top stainless steel tanks with gentle pumpovers 2-3 times daily.
This 2023 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir blend is a compelling and highly successful expression of this dynamic appellation. By harmoniously combining fruit from the north (vibrant fruit, floral) and middle (depth, earth, acidity) regions, and utilizing careful winemaking (whole cluster, French oak), the wine offers a complex tapestry of bright red and dark fruit, savory spice, earthy depth, and elegant structure. It is a beautifully balanced, intensely flavored, and structured Pinot Noir that is both immediately engaging and promises fascinating evolution with cellar aging, truly reflecting the diverse and exceptional terroir of the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Wine specs
- Vintage 2023
- Varietal Pinot Noir (100%)
- Aging Aged 10 Months in 100% French Oak, 50% New
- pH 3.68 pH
- Acidity .54 TA
- Serving Temp 55F
- Winemaker Collin Cranor & Craig Ploof
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2023 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
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