2020 “Limited Selection” Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir - Gainey Vineyards

A seductively silky and supple procession of spiced dark cherry, rhubarb preserves, tart blueberry, and wild blackberry leads a lifted and strikingly expressive display charmingly layered with fragrant floral notes of lavender and blooming rose. Pleasant hints of tree bark, forest floor, and dried seaweed gently impart waves of complex organic character that effortlessly coalesce with a range of exotic spices including coriander, nutmeg, and caraway seed. Subtle suggestions of tilled loam and crushed diatomaceous earth contribute agreeable soil tones that are playfully enhanced by gorgeous coastal reflections of sea spray and saline minerality. Tremendously outgoing and aromatic on the nose while remaining effortlessly soft and pretty on the palate; exhibiting a deeply characterful and classy presentation that combines plenty of ripe yet restrained fruit with a plethora of intriguing savory qualities. Medium-plus bodied with moderate tannin kept fresh by bright acidity. This 2020 "Limited Selection" Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir by Gainey Vineyard is an elegant and terroir expressive red from Santa Barbara County. 

Stradling the iconic Santa Rosa Road near the Southeastern edge of the Santa Rita Hills appellation, Gainey's Evan's Ranch Vineyard sits in the scenic foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains and possesses ideal climatic, topographic, and geologic conditions for producing world class Pinot Noir. This bottling, crafted by Gainey Vineyard using Pinot Noir grown solely at Evan's Ranch Vineyard, is an incredible representation of how the terroir of this lauded site can manifest itself in the glass. This generously radiates bold yet balanced dark and red fruits bolstered in complexity by highly aromatic floral tones, classic forest notes, captivating spices, and clean coastal earthiness. Although irresistible today this boasts the structure to age and improve in bottle for a decade or more, and should greatly reward the patentience of those who can manage to keep some stashed away in their cellar. Outstanding.