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2021 North Canyon Vineyard Pinot Noir

2021 North Canyon Vineyard Pinot Noir

Santa Maria Valley750ml 14.1

As Santa Barbara County’s northernmost AVA, Santa Maria Valley is renowned for its unique funnel created by two transverse mountain ranges running east by west. Pinot Noir excels in this well-kn...

As Santa Barbara County’s northernmost AVA, Santa Maria Valley is renowned for its unique funnel created by two transverse mountain ranges running east by west. Pinot Noir excels in this well-known transverse valley that, despite its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, is uniquely situated just north of Point Conception, right where the climate is warm and mild enough to ripen grapes to full maturity.

$50.00
$50.00

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Specifications

  • Vintage: 2021
  • Region: Santa Barbara County
  • Appelation: Santa Maria Valley
  • ABV: 14.1
  • Varietal: Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

The signature of North Canyon Pinot Noir is its vibrancy, fragrant nose, and primary red berry fruit character, and this vintage demonstrates this classic character beautifully. The nose is boisterous and bright with red cherry notes alongside a subtle floral and savory tone. On the palate, lively raspberry, pomegranate, Bing cherry, and red currant notes accompany hints of rose petal and orange pekoe tea. Lifted, subtle notes of nutmeg, cardamom and pink peppercorn spice support the fruit, and integrate well, a nod to the oak barrel aging. This Pinot Noir is lithe and buoyant, with firm tannins and crisp acidity, all leading to a mouthwatering, juicy, and balanced finish that is lengthy and alluring.

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Expert reviews

91 POINTS

“Fresh and pure, with red tea, mulberry and blood orange notes that cruise through, showing focus and freshness. The lightly toasted finish lets some incense filter through, while the fruit wins out easily. Gently mouthwatering in the end. Drink now through 2028.” — James Molesworth

Winemaker Jon Priest walking between rows of grapevines in a vineyard.

The Vineyard

North Canyon Vineyard

Less than twenty miles from the Pacific Ocean, North Canyon Vineyard sits along the Santa Maria River bench in a secluded canyon that provides some protection from the region’s renowned maritime influences. Located a bit off the direct valley, temperatures are often a few degrees warmer and North Canyon is exposed to extended periods of sunshine that ensure Pinot Noir matures to a bright red fruit character. A variety of rootstocks and clones are planted in calcareous clay and sandstone at North Canyon, which differs from the valley’s defining marine mixture of ancient seabed, clay loam and sand. Fruit from one select block, located on a bluff in the southern, cooler end of the canyon, was chosen for this Pinot Noir. In order to achieve the same high level of quality wines, the farming of North Canyon is uniquely hands-on, which ensures viticulture practices and farming measures are comparable with that of Etude’s Estate Vineyards.

Process

The 2021 vintage

  • The 2021 season was joyous and welcomed after the challenges of previous vintages, producing exceptionally high-quality fruit, some of the best in recent years. A tremendous year to taste the nuances and terroir distinction from around the valley.
  • Stylized pixel art of a flower

    Spring

    Rain early in the year led to almost no notable precipitation for the rest of the season, providing an ideal environment for grapes to flower, bloom, and set in early spring, with budbreak early in April, followed by flowering and bloom in May.

  • Stylized pixel art of the sun

    Summer

    The summer saw early and even ripening throughout the valley, with veraison appearing in early July.Low yields (in part due to drought conditions), created fruit that is intensely flavored and smaller in berry size.

    One of the earliest starts, harvest began with white wine grapes coming in towards late July, while red wine grapes arrived about a month later, at the end of August.

  • Stylized pixel art of a leaf

    Harvest

    With optimal ripening and taste, our winemakers took their time bringing grapes in, crafting wines of fantastic character, with amazing color extraction, aromatic intensity, tremendous balance, and structure, that are equally lush and fruity.

Winemaker Jon Priest holding up harvested grapes near stainless steel fermentation tanks.

Crafted Excellence

Winemaking

The grapes for this wine were harvested at night to preserve freshness and integrity. They were placed in open-top fermenters for 3-5 days of cold maceration followed by fermentation. The grapes were 100% destemmed to preserve the fragrant aromatics and to allow the fruit character to shine. Punch downs were performed during the early stages of fermentation with the extraction becoming gentler as the wine became dry and followed with a quiet extended maceration to help modify the richness and mouthfeel of the wine. The wine was lightly pressed into small French oak barrels where it rested for 14 months.