California Pinot Wars
A blind tasting of an up and coming Sonoma producer vs. two Santa Rita Hills based producers
May 20, 2017
At this blind tasting we sought to contrast different wine-making styles while at the same time comparing wines made in Sonoma to wines made in Santa Barbara County. We tasted the following wines, which are listed below:
Executive Summary:
Donum - West Slope - 2013
The wine presented with a dark rick color, with a reasonable amount of fruit on the nose along with some spice. The wine was a bit forward and had its fruit carefully balanced with some minerality, and this served to somewhat suppress the influences of the rich Sonoma influences. This wine was a bit high in alcohol but was well structured and had a long finish. In fact, the wine was so well structured and balanced that many in this tasting assumed it wine was Sea Smoke because of its minerality and the fact that it was not a classic fruit-bomb, which is unfortunately characteristic of too many Napa and Sonoma Pinots. It should be clear to all that this Burgundian Pinot experiment has produced some interesting results, but time will tell how far this producer can come to producing both a consistent Pinot but also one of high quality. The wine cost $90/btl and was made from 100% Pinot Noir. Rating CW91
Sea Smoke - Southing – 2013
What turned out to be wine number two in our tasting had hints of light fruit with some floral qualities on the nose and appeared a bit lighter than Donum. The wine also had a long finish, but was much lighter than Donum and can be characterized as more "pleasant" than "complex." The fruit was also rounder and had a reasonable middle palate as well. While this wine did develop some over time I would consider it a bit flabby and not as well structured as Donum. What was surprising was the absence of significant levels of minerality and spice many had assumed would be present in this Santa Rita based wine. The wine cost $60/btl and was made from 100% Pinot Noir. CW 86.
The Hilt - The Vanguard – 2013
As this is still early on in the history of this vineyard, one can only assume it is uphill from here. Although this wine presented some fruit and spice on the nose and had reasonable color, it was a bit light in flavor and had a fast finish. As far as structure is concerned, the wine appeared a bit one-dimensional and was not as developed as the others in this tasting. However, the wine did pair well with food and I am sure its quality will improve over time as this vineyard is part of the Jonata family of vineyards in the Santa Barbara area. Jonata has produced some very formidable and serious Cabernet blends, which we hope to be the case here as well. The wine cost $45/btl and was made from 100% Pinot Noir. CW 82.
- Donum - West Slope – 2013
- Sea Smoke - Southing – 2013
- The Hilt – The Vanguard - 2013
Executive Summary:
- Donum came out on top, largely because of its richly structured body that also contains elements of minerality and spice.
- Sea Smoke was second, as this wine was judged to be pleasant but a bit lighter than Donum. It did have a longer finish than most, but lacked the muscularity to develop into anything other than a "nice" wine.
- The Hilt came in last. Many thought the wine was a bit simplistic in its structure and was light on the palate. It did have the basic core elements of fruit and minerality that might turn into something greater, but a bit more work needs to be done by Matt Dees before this wine can move forward.
Donum - West Slope - 2013
The wine presented with a dark rick color, with a reasonable amount of fruit on the nose along with some spice. The wine was a bit forward and had its fruit carefully balanced with some minerality, and this served to somewhat suppress the influences of the rich Sonoma influences. This wine was a bit high in alcohol but was well structured and had a long finish. In fact, the wine was so well structured and balanced that many in this tasting assumed it wine was Sea Smoke because of its minerality and the fact that it was not a classic fruit-bomb, which is unfortunately characteristic of too many Napa and Sonoma Pinots. It should be clear to all that this Burgundian Pinot experiment has produced some interesting results, but time will tell how far this producer can come to producing both a consistent Pinot but also one of high quality. The wine cost $90/btl and was made from 100% Pinot Noir. Rating CW91
Sea Smoke - Southing – 2013
What turned out to be wine number two in our tasting had hints of light fruit with some floral qualities on the nose and appeared a bit lighter than Donum. The wine also had a long finish, but was much lighter than Donum and can be characterized as more "pleasant" than "complex." The fruit was also rounder and had a reasonable middle palate as well. While this wine did develop some over time I would consider it a bit flabby and not as well structured as Donum. What was surprising was the absence of significant levels of minerality and spice many had assumed would be present in this Santa Rita based wine. The wine cost $60/btl and was made from 100% Pinot Noir. CW 86.
The Hilt - The Vanguard – 2013
As this is still early on in the history of this vineyard, one can only assume it is uphill from here. Although this wine presented some fruit and spice on the nose and had reasonable color, it was a bit light in flavor and had a fast finish. As far as structure is concerned, the wine appeared a bit one-dimensional and was not as developed as the others in this tasting. However, the wine did pair well with food and I am sure its quality will improve over time as this vineyard is part of the Jonata family of vineyards in the Santa Barbara area. Jonata has produced some very formidable and serious Cabernet blends, which we hope to be the case here as well. The wine cost $45/btl and was made from 100% Pinot Noir. CW 82.