Our signature appellation wine. This wine is a composite of both our Sta. Rita Hills AVA vineyards, Peake Ranch and John Sebastiano. The combination of these diverse vineyards, six different clonal varieties, a splash of stem inclusion, and the unprecedented heat of the vintage work together to create a wine that speaks volumes of the area.
The first Pinot Noir to be released is our signature appellation wine. This wine is a composite of both our Sta. Rita Hills AVA vineyards, Peake Ranch and John Sebastiano. The combination of these diverse vineyards, seven different clonal varieties, a splash of stem inclusion, and the cool nature of the vintage work together to create a wine that speaks to the area. There is a beautiful, charming bouquet that encapsulates the ripeness we get with our California sun but remains light and elegant on the palate with very polished and silky tannins.
Deep, dark magenta hued in color. The aromatics are sophisticated with notes of black cherry, cocoa powder, peppered cured meats, leather, and tobacco leaf. Brooding yet elegant, the lush tannins are balanced with ample acidity. Co- fermented with 5% Viognier, this Syrah expresses the full potential this variety is capable of achieving in the cool climate of the Santa Rita Hills appellation.
From a windy site of the eastern slope of the Santa Rita Hills, we have produced a Pinot Noir that embodies power, structure and concentration at it’s core. Intensely fruit forward with predominantly blueberry and black cherry notes. Graham cracker, fresh cut herbs, rose and toffee hints are also discernible. The fruit lingers into the strong palate, finishing beautifully with soft oak tannin. Those of you with patience, however, will find it will reveal additional complexities with a few years of cellaring.
Deep, dark magenta hued in color. The aromatics are sophisticated with notes of black cherry, cocoa powder, peppered cured meats, leather, and tobacco leaf. Brooding yet elegant, the lush tannins are balanced with ample acidity. Co- fermented with 5% Viognier and aged exclusively in neutral French oak, this Syrah expresses the full potential this variety is capable of achieving in the cool climate of the Santa Rita Hills appellation.
Sierra Madre Vineyard is situated on a sandy, south-facing slope, and produces a wine that is concentrated, decadent and complex. Caramel, sea salt and nutmeg aromatics are balanced by ripe stone fruits, granny smith apples and honeydew. The wine’s flamboyant attributes of richness and lusciousness are balanced by an acidic tension culminating with a long, velvety-textured finish.
Last on this allocation is the beloved Bellis Noir! Our non-traditional but distinctly Sta. Rita Hills Rhone inspired blend of 75% Syrah, 16% Grenache, and 9% Pinot Noir. While most of these styles of blends intend to embolden their Grenache by adding Syrah or Mourvedre, the Bellis Noir takes the opposite approach. Our cool climate Syrahs carry a lot of intensity both in aromatics and body so we add Grenache and Pinot Noir to round and soften our Syrah to create a wine that has beautiful texture and flavor.
This is only the third vintage that this property has produced, and we truly love the fruit we received this year. Aromatically there are the subtle hints of the savory, exotic, and earthy tones that we’ve seen evolve over the past few years and will amplify over time. Texturally this wine has everything we’re looking for: lovely red fruit, salinity, minerality, and silky tannins. This wine has so much to offer! We look forward to tasting it as it evolves over the coming years.
Our Santa Barbara County Chardonnay integrates the two coldest AVAs in Santa Barbara, those being the Sta. Rita Hills (sourced from our Peake Ranch Vineyard) and Santa Maria Valley (sourced from our Sierra Madre Vineyard) respectively. This wine is dominated by wonderful floral and citrus aromatics with a bright, fresh energetic backbone, then finishes with a soft, subtle oak influence.
Very expressive aromas on this wine with notes of bramble fruit, lavender, cherry blossom, pine, redwood, and creamy strawberry. The palate shows cranberry flavors, with bright acidity jumping upfront. There is a slight prickly texture on the mid-palate with fresh and light bodied notes throughout the mouthfeel.
From a windy site of the eastern slope of the Sta. Rita Hills, we have produced a Pinot Noir that embodies power, structure and concentration at it’s core. Vibrant magenta in color, with a fruit forward intensity that embodies the essence of fresh red plum, tomato leaf, bing cherry and vanilla. Tannin dominant with a solid backbone of beautifully balanced acidity throughout the palate. A few years of cellaring will reward ten-fold those with patience.
Lively aromas of stone fruits, like peach and apricot jump out at first. Creamier aromas of lemon curd and brioche are secondary and really show the depth of this wine. On the palate there is a high intensity of flavor with great structure. This wine has balanced oak and vibrant fruit notes.
This wine is a blend of our two estate Sta. Rita Hills vineyards: John Sebastiano and Peake Ranch. There is a contrast between the terroir of the two vineyards that we think is representative of not just our vineyards and quality, but of the Sta. Rita Hills as a whole. Peake Ranch, on the south side, is more protected from the wind and comprised of clay and river stone, while JSV is steep, wind-struck and primarily comprised of loam and sand. In addition, there are a half-dozen different clonal varieties (115, 667, 777, Pommard, Hyde, and Calera) that add even more complexity and diversity to this wine.
The beloved Bellis Noir! Our non-traditional but distinctly Sta. Rita Hills Rhone inspired blend of 52% Grenache, 44% Syrah, and 4% Pinot Noir. While most of these styles of blends intend to embolden their Grenache by adding Syrah or Mourvedre, the Bellis Noir takes the opposite approach. Our cool climate Syrahs carry a lot of intensity both in aromatics and body so we add Grenache and Pinot Noir to round and soften our Syrah to create a wine that has beautiful texture and flavor.
The 2020 Peake Ranch Vineyard Syrah is a spectacular expression of Syrah grown in the cool Sta. Rita Hills. This wine is a beautiful, deep magenta color, and expresses aromas of wild blackberries, redwood, and chocolate. Acidity is paired well with silky tannins throughout the palate. The finale of the wine is a finish that is persistent and satisfying.
Outside of being the first and oldest of our vineyards, Sierra Madre is by far the coldest. Located on the western side of the Santa Maria AVA, it is one of the lowest elevation vineyards in the region. As such, it is blanketed by freezing coastal fog and wind all year long. The result is Chardonnay that retains racy natural acidity, a bright mineral-driven texture, and concentrated fruit that integrates flawlessly with the French oak barrels we use.
The classic Syrah notes jump out immediately with aromas of white pepper and lavender. On the palate, the acidity is the driving factor yet is supported with mid-palate lengthy and linear tannins. The fruit expressively beautifully on the palate with flavors of raspberry compote.
