Pinot Noir Trail in Los Olivos

These wines are from July, 2019. Please contact winery for availability.

Pinot Noir is one of the most popular red wine grapes in the world for a reason: it can be elegant, nuanced, smoky, earthy, fruity, velvety, smooth, light, acidic and so much more. And it pairs well with a large range of dishes. In our charming town of Los Olivos, you’ll find lots of Pinot Noir from 16 wineries right here in town to 3 wineries just a little further afield!

1. Arthur Earl Winery

Arthur Earl is a boutique winery specializing in emerging popular varieties. While many small wineries specialize in just a few varieties, producing them in significant quantities, the Arthur Earl philosophy lends itself to producing small lots of many different varieties and blends. At any given time, we will have as many as 10 different wines to sample and purchase in our tasting room.

• 2012 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County Lot One – 100% Clone 667 Pinot Noir grapes from a cool climate vineyard near the Santa Rita Hills AVA in Lompoc ~ Classic Pinot Noir; Medium bodied with lots of rich cherry flavors.
• 2012 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County Lot Two – 100% Clone 777 Pinot Noir grapes from a cool climate vineyard near the Santa Rita Hills AVA in Lompoc ~ Classic Pinot Noir; Medium body, bright acidity and complexity with mature cherry flavors.
• 2008 Pinot Noir San Luis Obispo County Arroyo Grande Valley AVA – From a vineyard which is close to the ocean on Highway 101, south of the town of Arroyo Grande. A cool location perfect for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They have a very large selection of different Pinot Noir clones planted in several different blocks. This huge Pinot Noir is entirely the 667 clone. It was aged primarily in new Francois Freres oak barrels for 16 months. It is one of the biggest, in color and body, Pinot Noirs I have come across, but has classic Pinot Noir flavors and richness.

2. Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills Estate Wines

Estate wines that communicate the complexity and natural beauty of two of Santa Barbara County’s most esteemed vineyard sites. The Miller Family has grown wine grapes since the early 1970’s for top wine producers. Only recently have they begun crafting their own exclusive wines for Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills Estate Wines label.

• 2014 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir – Hand harvested at night and fermented with native yeast and malolactic fermentation. Then aged for 18 months in French oak; 33% new. This wine was bottled unfiltered. The classic spicy black teas, iron, and dark fruit aromas jump out of the glass with cardamom and pepper. The palate has bright acid, with moderate tannins that balance out the richness very nicely.
• 2014 Solomon Hills Pinot Noir – Hand harvested at night and fermented with native yeast and malolactic fermentation. Then aged for 18 months in French oak; 33% new. This wine was bottled unfiltered. Vibrant aromatics of fennel, cinnamon, and blue fruits dominate the aromatics at the moment. These carry through to the spicey fruits on the substantially masculine palate with integrated acidity, and great length.
• 2014 Estate The Captain Pinot Noir – Hand harvested at night, fermented with native yeast and malolactic fermentation. Aged for 18 months in French oak; 40% new. This wine was bottled unfiltered. This wine is very nuanced with toasty cloves, pipe tobacco and bright strawberries. The palate is fine but firm with understated elegance and has plenty to reveal if given enough time.
• 2014 Estate Pinot Noir Old Vines – Hand harvested at night, and fermented with native yeast and malolactic fermentations. Then aged for 18 months in French oak; 40% new. This wine was bottled unfiltered. This wine is very Bien Nacido on the nose with mandarin, mahogany, and strawberries. The palate is fine but firm with understated elegance and has plenty to reveal if given enough time.

3. Brewer-Clifton

At Brewer-Clifton, we strive to be singular and true to our region as we follow our pursuit. We have espoused ourselves to our appellation and will continue to do everything in our powers to display and celebrate it in as honest and impactful manner possible.

• 2015 459 Pinot Noir – This bottling is comprised of 100% estate clone 459 pinot noir from our Machado vineyard. 459 exhibits a deep, rich & carnal expression of fruit with balanced spice.
• 2015 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir – This blend is comprised of 3D, Machado, Acin and Hapgood vineyards.
• 2015 Drum Canyon Pinot Noir – Sourced from the mid slope portion of the Drum Canyon Vineyard situated at the crossroads of Drum Canyon and Highway 246. Such vineyard loins are cherished as they meld the richer soil profiles of the upper hillsides along with the more sand based material below. Equal parts of California heritage selections Calera and Swan, fermented predominantly as whole clusters.
• 2015 3D Pinot Noir – The primary emphasis of the predominately sandy 10-acre vineyard is Chardonnay, with equal amounts of five clones planted (4, 76, Hyde, Mount Eden and Sea Smoke Wente). In addition to Chardonnay, there is a smaller field of Pinot Noir planted to Swan, Pommard, 667 and 828 clones.
• 2015 Acin Pinot Noir – This bottling is comprised of 100% estate pinot noir from our Acin vineyard. Planted on a gentle, north facing incline across Highway 246 from Melville and Babcock wineries. There are 2 1/2 acres of pinot noir is planted to clone 828.
• 2015 Machado Pinot Noir – Looking to secure a mirror-image sister ranch to our 3D Vineyard, we began working with the Machado family in the winter of 2008. Our 15 acre parcel on their land is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak Vineyard. The site is marked by a gorgeous rolling terrain with sandy loam soils. At Machado, the majority of the planting is dedicated to pinot noir with equal amounts of such selections as Pommard, Merry Edwards, Mount Eden, and 459. In addition to pinot noir, we also planted a small, two-acre plot in the sandiest portion of the field to the Sweeney Canyon selection of chardonnay.
• 2017 459 Pinot Noir – This bottling is comprised of 100% estate clone 459 pinot noir from our Machado vineyard. 459 exhibits a deep, and carnal expression of fruit with balanced spice. 15 acre parcel on the Machado family land is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak vineyard. The site is marked by a gorgeous rolling terrain with sandy clay loam soils.
• 2017 Hapgood Pinot Noir – The Hapgood Vineyard is located across the road from our Machado vineyard and is situated at the end of Hapgood Road. In slightly richer soil, the vineyard is planted to the Mount Eden selection of Pinot Noir. The elevated clay loam content results in larger volume and a more dense palate expression. Our most recent installation, planted in 2010, is this small 2-1/2 acre section of pinot noir planted to Merry Edwards clone.
• 2017 3D Pinot Noir – The primary emphasis of the predominately sandy 10-acre vineyard is Chardonnay, with equal amounts of five clones planted (4, 76, Hyde, Mount Eden and Sea Smoke Wente). In addition to Chardonnay, there is a smaller field of Pinot Noir planted to Swan, Pommard, 667 and 828 clones.
• 2017 Machado Pinot Noir – Looking to secure a mirror-image sister ranch to our 3D Vineyard, we began working with the Machado family in the winter of 2008. Our 15 acre parcel on their land is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak Vineyard. The site is marked by a gorgeous rolling terrain with sandy loam soils.

4. Carhartt Vineyard & Winery

Located in the beautiful and rugged hills north of Santa Barbara, California, Mike Carhartt grew up raising cattle and horses on the historic family ranch. Years later, he and his wife Brooke planted a vineyard along with a dream of Carhartt Winery. Today, with their son Chase, the Carhartts grow grapes and craft wines on that same patch of ground. The principles that guided their great grandfather, Hamilton Carhartt 125 years ago, are still alive and strong in their ground to glass approach to winemaking.

• 2016 Carhartt Venture “Wayward Son” – Donnachadh Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills – 12.6% abv

5. Carucci Wines

Expressive and nuanced small production wines from the coldest vineyards on California’s Central Coast, including Rose, Pinot Noir Grenache and Syrah.

• 2017 Pinot Noir 

6. Community Craft

The Community Craft offers wine tasting, 30+ wines by the glass, draft and bottled beers, along with uncommon ciders and sours. Community Craft provides a unique selection of retail wines from boutique local producers and exotic international finds. 

• Loubud 2018 Pinot Noir, Cebada VYD Santa Ynez
• Amy & Peter 2014 Radian VYD, Sta. Rita Hills
• Hilliard Bruce 2016 “MOON”, Hilliard Bruce VYD Sta. Rita Hills
• Seasmoke 2016 ‘SOUTHING’, Sta. Rita Hills

7. Coquelicot Estate Vineyard

Coquelicot (ko-klee-ko) is the name “en Français” of the striking red poppy flower that graces the French countryside, as well as all the labels on our wines. Our 58 acre vineyard is an organically farmed property in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. Sustainable farming and gentle, meticulous winemaking techniques converge to produce hand made, limited production wines that are a true celebration of life.

• 2011 Pinot Noir – KickOn Ranch, Santa Barbara County. Delicate and pretty, this Pinot Noir doesn’t scream, it whispers. Soft and feminine, it lures you into deep thought. The acidity is very bright and this wine has a lot of life. It offers an intriguing blend of exotic flavors with notes of dark cherries, hibiscus, lavender and blood orange. The oak is very well-integrated and barely noticeable. Those soft tannins seal the deal nicely and usher in a very long, velvety finish.

8. Dragonette Cellars

Brothers John and Steve Dragonette and close friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis founded Dragonette Cellars in 2005 after having worked together at a renowned wine shop in Los Angeles. Their shared passion for great wine brought them to wild, windy and remote northern Santa Barbara County where they spent the next several years seeking out extraordinary, cool-climate vineyards and dedicating themselves to careful, patient, minimalist winemaking.

• 2016 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills – The SRH Pinot Noir is all about complexity and balance. From the inception of our winery we have believed that blending Pinot Noir from diverse vineyard blocks and sites would create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Wines form the warmer parts of the SRH would provide dramatic fruits and baking spices, wines from the cooler portions would provide, higher toned red fruits, fresh herbs, minerals and great acidity. Over the years we have selected vineyard sources for the purpose of crafting this wine, and in 2016 we blended grapes from 7 different vineyards to make this wine sing the song of the Santa Rita Hills – beautifully pure, fairly rich red fruits, excellent spices and big but beautiful structure. We carefully age the wines on their lees to limit movement and retain freshness and energy.
• 2016 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard – Radian is one of the most dramatic, remote and extreme sites in Santa Barbara County. It is located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, high atop the sparse, chaparral and poison oak studded Santa Rosa Hills, and it literally wraps itself around crevasses and steep cliffs, its tiny roads literally clinging to hillsides in some spots. From here one has a direct sightline to the huge expanse of the mighty Pacific Ocean, whose influence completely dominates the site, from the cold powerful winds, to the high proportion of prehistoric algae skeletons (the silica based diatomaceous earth) comprising the soils. This vineyard actually seems to rest, somewhat precariously, upon this remarkably hardscrabble land. We identified this site at its inception and chose the most extreme blocks, which yield a tiny crop of small clusters. The resulting wines are intense, with a fascinating mineral streak and a remarkable depth of flavor even at lower alcohol levels. We have received several outstanding reviews on the wines from this site.
• 2016 Pinot Noir, Fiddlestix Vineyard – The Fiddlestix vineyard performed admirably in 2016, and we are pleased to introduce our 10th vintage of this wine. Grapes from five separate blocks (five different clones) comprise this wine, each of which was individually monitored, harvested, fermented, barreled, and aged. We fermented this wine with selective use of whole clusters (15% of the blend). The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (15% new). The 2016 version of this wine is beautifully textured and very long, with great spice intrigue from whole clusters and the signature red fruits of Fiddlestix.
• 2016 Pinot Noir, Black Label – Our “Black Label” Pinot Noir is our most sought-after Pinot Noir. It is a reserve-tier blend of our favorite barrels of Pinot Noir from the vintage. Stylistically, this is the boldest, most dramatic Pinot Noir in our portfolio. We select individual barrels for their complexity, intensity, structure and velvety mouthfeel. This wine typically contains the highest percentage of new oak barrels and will be the most long lived of our Pinot Noirs.

9. E11even Wines by Andrew Murray

Andrew Murray presents E11even Wine. This is a special project for Andrew. All of the wines are Estate Grown and crafted with the utmost care and precision. They truly represent the best that we can do here, on the Curtis Estate in the heart of Los Olivos and at the Gravel Pit Estate in Santa Maria.

• 2014 E11even Pinot Noir – Red fruits and forest floor mingle with toasty oak from the indulgent French oak aging.

10. Evan’s Ranch Wines

Evan’s Ranch is located in the renowned Santa Rita Hills appellation of western Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County. It was established during the 1990s by the Gainey family, who have farmed in Santa Ynez Valley for four generations and were searching for an ideal site on which to cultivate the classic cool-climate varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.

• 2016 Morgan’s Las Brisas Pinot Noir – The grapes for the 2016 Morgan’scame from a steep, north-facing slope on Evan’s Ranch that boasts gravelly loam soils and dense plantings of ten high-quality clones of Pinot Noir. It is the middle slope on the ranch and, as is frequently the case in Burgundy, consistently yields the best grapes and wines. We fermented the fruit, in traditional Burgundian fashion, in small open-top tanks with daily punchdowns to thoroughly macerate the juice and skins, then aged the wine in French oak barrels for 10 months before bottling it last August.
• 2015 Lone Oak Pinot Noir (Magnum) – 2015 was a generous and concentrated vintage in Sta. Rita Hills. A warm, dry spring and winter led to early bud break, trouble-free vine flowering and grape set, and a consistently sunny, mild summer with little rain and few heat spikes. The grapes were harvested at optimum maturity with exceptionally bright, rich flavors and vibrant acidity.
• 2016 Lone Oak Pinot Noir (Magnum)

11. Liquid Farm

Often said, but very true, all great wine starts in the vineyard. Liquid Farm‘s name reflects our strong belief in that philosophy. It is truly all about place in combination with the highest quality fruit and letting the varietal and regional typicity of the wine shine through from vineyard to glass…Liquid from Farming. We allow the wines to develop on their own with little intervention, minimal or no new oak and use no additives or machines to manipulate the wines inherent personality.

• 2017 ‘SBC’ Pinot Noir – She is definitely a lady! The 2017 ‘SBC’ Pinot Noir utilizes 4 different vineyards within Sta. Rita Hills (Spear Vineyards, Radian, Sanford & Benedict, and Peake Ranch). This wine saw a little less time in barrel than the single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and still includes just touch of stems and new barrel. This Pinot Noir exhibits the grace and elegance that draws many winemakers to the Sta Rita Hills. Aromas of dried cranberry, fruit leather, fresh parsley, and tea leaves leap from the glass. On the palate, the wine is both energetic and sophisticated with great intensity and depth of flavor. The finish is long and savory, keeping you wanting to come back for another sip. Look for this wine to age well over the next decade.
• 2015 Pinot Noir, SMV – 2015 marks our 2nd vintage doing what we said we’d probably never venture to do – make red wine. Specifically Pinot Noir. This bottling is a blend of the renowned Bien Nacido Vineyard & Solomon Hills Vineyard from the Santa Maria Valley AVA (hence, its concise name: ‘SMV’). These are two vineyards that we have had the pleasure of working with via Chardonnay from since 2013. These Pinot’s are built to age but, will unravel themselves for enjoyment later in the year. Or decant and enjoy over a few days.
• 2016 Spear Vineyard Pinot Noir – As soon as we heard that an all new, Certified Organic vineyard was being planted right in the heart of Sta. Rita Hills we couldn’t wait to get our hands on some of the sure-to-be delicious fruit. We began working with Spear Vineyards in 2015 and are blown away each year, as the vineyard contiues to develop and mature. Our 2016 ‘SBC’ Pinot Noir was largely composed of Spear Vineyards fruit, but as is oft the case here, we couldn’t help but fall in love with a few very special barrels. These barrels make up what is now the 2016 Spear Vineyards Pinot Noir.
• 2016 Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir – Radian Vineyard is the westernmost vineyard along Santa Rosa Rd, in the heart of Sta. Rita Hills. Cold nights and a constant marine influence makes this site ideal for expressive and balanced Pinot Noir. In 2016, we identified 3 barrels that set themselves apart and we bottled our second “single-vineyard” Pinot Noir from Radian Vineyard. Aged 15 months in French oak (15% new) with 15% stem inclusion. While she sure is showy now, expect great things as this wine matures over the next decade.

12. Los Olivos Tasting Room

The Los Olivos Tasting Room & Wine Shop was established in 1987 as California’s first independent tasting room specializing in Santa Barbara and Central Coast Pinot Noirs.  We also carry the fine handcrafted wines produced by the smaller, local winemakers and wineries that for the most part do not have their own tasting room or have limited days they are open.  

• August West 2012 Rosella’s Pinot Noir (this is Roar’s 2nd label!)
• Lucia 2014 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
• Luli 2014 Pinot Noir
• Jack Creek 2013 Estate Pinot Noir
• Ojai 2013 Fe Ciega Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Roar 2014 Sierra Mar Pinot Noir
• Center of Effort ’13 Edna Valley Pinot Noir (What Pinot wants to be!)
• Wrath 2013 115/667 Pinot Noir

13. Moretti Wines

Moretti is dedicated to producing small-lot, well-balanced, food-friendly wines in a European tradition – meant to be paired with food. Our background and wine experience comes from the old world, and we strive to produce similarly styled wines using excellent Santa Barbara County grapes. We also own Taste of Santa Rita Hills (in the same Los Olivos location) and are proud to represent a group of amazing Central Coast winemakers who create some of the most sought-after and hard-to-find wines from Santa Rita Hills. Here you can find producers like Sea Smoke, Paul Lato, Bonaccorsi and many others producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

• 2015 Moretti Pinot Noir, Kessler-Haak Vineyard
• 2017 Moretti Pinot Noir, Rancho Santa Rita

14. Saarloos + Sons Winery

Saarloos & Sons wines were never meant to be available to the public. We started with a small 17-acre farm in hills of Los Olivos, on the only south-facing hill, let alone terraced, on Ballard Canyon. Larry woke one morning to see a cool layer of fog filling the canyon, he felt the midday sun on his neck, he listened to the wind turn the windmill blades each day coming from the same direction, and then he did what every good farmer does. He waited, he watched, he felt, and he listened. Day after day, week after week, year after year. Then like a great farmer, he picked up his shovel and got to work. And get to work he did…

• Extended Family Pinot Noir | 2011-2017 | Sta. Rita Hills & Santa Maria Valley
• Motherhood Pinot Noir | 2012 | Sta. Rita Hills

15. SAMsARA Wine Co.

SAMsARA produces limited releases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache and Chardonnay from carefully selected micro-sites within Sta. Rita Hill’s most distinctive vineyards. Our wines showcase the distinctive natural elements at play on each vineyard, harnessed through a low intervention winemaking style.

• 2015 Pinot Noir Rancho La Vina Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills – Big aromatics with spice and pretty red fruit aromatics, flavors of cherries, pomegranate, and strawberries. It has richness and a smooth saline texture on the palate as well as great depth and weight with a long persistent finish.
• 2015 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills – The Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is complex and powerful. Strawberries, dark cherries and baking
  spices combined with mid-palate weight, great length and focus with gripping tannins give the Sta. Rita Hills Pinot much of its unique personality. Las Hermanas, Rancho La Vina and The Yard vineyards. 10% new oak / 50% whole cluster
• 2014 Pinot Noir Rancho La Vina Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills – The Pinot Noir Rancho La Viña Vineyard is a stunning example of what this iconic vineyard can produce. Rose petal, quinine, sweet spices, blood orange and chalk give much of its unique, exotic personality. Lifted and gracious on the palate, striking depth throughout. The wine’s structure is implied more than overtly stated.
• 2014 Pinot Noir Las Hermanas Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills – “One of the most distinctive wines in the range, the 2014 Pinot Noir Las Hermanas Vineyard is captivating, fresh, nuanced and super-expressive, it hits on all the right notes. Intense, perfumed aromatics, brigth fruit adn fine chiseled tannis give the wine its super distinctive personality. There is much to like here.”
• 2014 Pinot Noir Turner Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills – The Turner Vineyard sits on 21 acres adjacent in the northern part of the Sta. Rita Hills. There are about 3 acres of Syrah planted at this dramatically cool site, with the balance planted to mostly Pinot Noir. The soils at Turner Vineyard are dark and clay-based with chunks of calcareous deposits throughout.

16. Solminer

Sol-miner as in mining the “Sun” which in turn nourishes the soul. The name inspires us to discover and unearth the treasures in the soils of the California Central Coast.  Our decisions have always been personal (not commercial) and involve what we call “conscious farming”.  Our personal desire is to reflect the vineyard in the wine and experiment with Austrian varietals.  

• 2016 Pinot Noir Duvarita Vineyard – This wine reflects Duvarita’s terroir and has an elegant, classic pinot quality. This cool, sandy, hillside vineyard is located just west of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and is certified organic and Biodynamic®. The vines are planted close together and low to the ground to protect them from the ocean breezes and provide heat from the soil. The sandy soils provide light reflection and are well drained.

17. Story of Soil

Story of Soil is dedicated to making small-production wines crafted with intention. Our tiny operation is aimed at producing high quality and balanced wines.

• 2016 Sierra Madre Pinot Noir – This is the first year we’ve worked with Sierra Madre Vineyard, and our first 2016 Pinot Noir release. Unlike many 2015 wines, which are demanding bottle age and took in the draught characteristics of dusty earth and subtle fruit, this vintage is one of intense, bright flavors and showcases the mulch and spice that we love about Santa Maria AVA. 2016 will prove to be a remarkable showing for Santa Barbara County wines!
• 2015 Gold Coast Pinot Noir – This 2016 Pinot Noir from Gold Coast Vineyard was a delight to make because mother nature was on our side. The growing season was ideal. In spring we had a good fruit set, with no wind or frost. Summer was steady with sunny days and the needed cool down during the nights (but not too cold). Luckily, to help perfectly ripen the grapes, August came along with a slight jump up in heat. Perfect timing as the grapes got enough warmth and hang time to achieve phenolic ripeness.
• 2016 Duvarita Pinot Noir – Duvarita vineyard has routinely been a favorite of ours, no matter who is working with these distinctively old-world-tasting grapes. The windy, exceptional cool days off the Lompoc coast are offset by the ripening of the sun bouncing off the desert-like sand that bedrocks the vineyard. Flavors are bright and light and capture the selenity of the 2015 growing season.
• 2016 JSV Vineyard Pinot Noir – Sitting on the far-eastern side of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, John Sabastiano Vineyard exhibits much warmer daytime temperatures than the more coastal west side, resulting in riper, deeper red fruits and a peppery spice. This is our fullest-body Pinot, yet still light and bright on the spectrum of California Pinots.

18. Toretti Family Vineyard

Toretti Family Vineyard is the hidden gem of Los Olivos. This limited production winery is pouring award winning Pinot Noir. Only 750 cases is produced at the small vineyard and ranch known as Casa Torres.

• 2014 Inocencio Pinot Noir – Lightly oaked, The 2014 Inocencio has beautiful layers of earth and spice. It is deep red in color with dark cherry on the nose and a dash of black pepper on the finish. 10% New French Oak. 23 months in the barrel.
• 2015 Toretti Pinot Noir – The 2015 Toretti is a vibrant, ruby-colored wine with cherry on the nose and just a hint of sage and chaparral, followed by a clean finish. This wine will continue to evolve in the bottle and reward the patient wine drinker. 30% New French Oak. Seventeen months in the barrel.
• 2015 Valentino Pinot Noir – The 2015 Valentino has been described as “Sinking into a dark leather armchair” It shows hints of black raspberry and bing cherry, a rich feel on the palate, and a refined finish. 60% New French Oak. Seventeen months in the barrel.

Further Afield

And just a further out from Los Olivos, you can find quality Pinot Noir at these 3 wineries.

19. Fess Parker Winery on Foxen Canyon

Fess Parker‘s home ranch vineyard has earned a great reputation for the quality of its Rhône varietals, while long term contracts with some of the finest vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA are the fruit sources for the winery’s Burgundian offerings. In recent years the winery has sharpened its focus toward production of more small lot, vineyard designated and clonal selection Rhône and Burgundian varietals.

• 2017 Clone 115 Pinot Noir – The Clone 115 Pinot Noir has attractive aromas of red cherry, raspberry, red plum, chocolate and clove. The palate has focused flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, grilled sage, plum, vanilla and cinnamon backed up with a streak of minerality and brisk acidity.
• 2016 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir – “A candied black-cherry aroma meets with wild thyme, dried marjoram and tea leaves on the nose of this bottling by Winemaker Blair Fox. It’s light bodied on the palate, allowing elegant red-fruit and purple-flower flavors to ride the vibrant acidity into the finish.” ~ Wine Enthusiast
• 2016 Pommard Clone Pinot Noir – The Pommard Clone is a darker, more brooding example of Pinot Noir. You will find black cherry, baking spices and even slightly smokey notes on the nose. The palate delivers nice structure with cherry, cranberry, cinnamon, vanilla and milk chocolate flavors.
• 2015 Parker West Pinot Noir – This Pinot Noir exhibits a true sense of place offering forward notes of black cherry, red plum, wild strawberry and floral notes supported by attractive mineral and spicy notes. This is a structured Pinot Noir that retains elegance and gracefulness due to bright natural acidity.
• 2015 Older Barrel Pinot Noir – “…this bottling allows its elegant fruit to shine, showing concentrated black cherry, cola, rose petal and ginger aromas. A tight boysenberry note emerges on the palate, dusted with clove and lavender and cut by lively acidity. A thorough and complete wine.” ~ Wine Enthusiast
• 2016 Ashley’s Pinot Noir – “I loved the 2016 Pinot Noir Ashley’s. This beauty just jumps out of the glass with notes of black cherries, raspberries, scorched earth, spice box, and dried herbs. Rich, medium-bodied, elegant, and seamless, it’s beautifully balanced and long, and certainly a great drink.” ~ Jeb Dunnuck
• 2017 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir – An elegant medium-bodied pinot showing fruit flavors of black cherry, red plum, cranberry and wild strawberry with spices of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg emerging on a savory finish. One new twist with the 2017 vintage, this new wine has a component from the esteemed Sanford & Benedict vineyard as part of the final blend!

20. Firestone Vineyards on Foxen Canyon

Firestone Winery is located in a unique cusp region. We have a “Goldilocks” climate that is neither too hot nor too cold. Our moderate temperatures and extremely long growing season enable us to successfully grow a staggering range of grape varieties.

• 2017 Firestone Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills – Expresses aromas of cherry, plum, black tea and a hint of sweet violet. The aromas follow through where balanced acidity and soft tannins complement the fruit notes.

21. Strange Family Vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills

Armed with passion, resilience, and the desire to become more immersed in nature, Strange Family Vineyards is dedicated to producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from our estate in the Santa Rita Hills, honoring the land and nurturing a place of family bonds. Our dream is to make Strange Family Vineyards a part of the everyday celebration of life—to promote love and family with the hope of making a difference in the world.

• 2015 Pinot Noir Blanc – Strange Family Vineyards offers a unique White Pinot Noir, made from gently pressing Pinot Noir grapes away from the skins to avoid the transfer of color. Featuring characteristics similar to its red counterpart, the clarity and crispness of our White Pinot Noir makes it stand out as a wine that both white and red wine lovers will truly enjoy.
• 2015 Pinot Noir – Deep plum and mushroom dominate the initial aromas. There is a wild mentholated note that follows. Light mint and fresh rosemary blend with plum, blackberry, and strawberry notes. The herbs continue on the palate, surrounding ripe strawberry and currant notes. Balsamic savoriness lingers on the finish.
• 2014 Pinot Noir – Notes from the Winemaker – Deep, ripe black plum aromas abound in the nose. Hints of currant and mocha mingle. A slightly mentholated essence lifts the aromas of wild strawberries. On the palate the black plum flavors mix with cherry and pomegranate. An iron-like quality grounds the fruit with old-world style.
• 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir – Bright aromas of clean peaches and fresh cut strawberries. Racy acidity on the palate with a surprising and delightful tang.