2006 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

Growing Region

Known for growing terrific pinot noir decades before the movie "Sideways" was released, Santa Barbara County enjoys a long growing season, encouraging development of concentrated and balanced berries. The coastal climate is key-- it is just warm enough that the fruit fully ripens, yet not too hot that vegetal undertones appear. The well-draining sandstone and limestone soils consistently produce small berries that are richly concentrated with flavors and aromas. The majority of the fruit for this wine was sourced from the North Canyon, with the vineyards situated on the cool end of this box canyon in restrictive hillside soil.

Vintage

The 2006 vintage began with moderate rainfall in the winter months followed by temperatures on the cool side of normal in spring. Things began to heat up about mid-July and temperatures held steady through August. A robust canopy helped protect the vines from any heat spikes and, in the end, vintage began about two weeks later than normal and overall quality was very good.

Winemaking

After a gentle de-stemming process the whole berries were fermented in stainless steel open-top tanks and punched down daily. A portion of the wine was then aged in a combination of 1-3 year old French (30%) and American (22%) oak barrels. The remainder of the blend was aged in stainless steel to preserve the fresh fruit flavors and maintain good acid structure to the finished wine.

Winemaker's Notes

The Greg Norman 2006 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir is ruby red in color. Aromas of sweet strawberry, rose petal and tomato vine are subtle and highlighted by mushroom nuances. The fruit forward flavors of ripe cherry and strawberry are delivered with a smooth mouthfeel and lingering silky tannins.

Technical Details

Appellation: Santa Barbara County, California
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.65
Total Acidity: 0.57 g/100ml
Harvest Date: September to October 2006
Bottle Date: May 2006

 

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