2016 John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir - Peake Ranch Wines

Deep red cherry, lavender bloom, blood orange peel. Fragrant strawberry, oolong tea, decadent pomegranate. Star anise and sauteed mushroom, crushed clove and tobacco leaf. Booming bunches of barely-ripe blueberries and spiced raspberry puree erupt with intense weightless concentration, complicated delicately by pulverized iris and licorice. Poplar, fennel, and tea leaves contribute clean natural notes before vanilla, nutmeg, and cardamom chime in with beautiful baking spice. Careful investigation reveals soil tones of dried salt and sandy loam that is largely overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the impressive aromatics. Medium plus in body, tannin, and acidity, displaying broad-shouldered masculine tendencies that somehow manage to float and dance in ethereal weightlessness. Fruit driven and full yet remarkably complex and nuanced. This 2016 John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir by Peake Ranch Wines is an amazingly vivacious and expressive Santa Barbara County Pinot.

The John Sebastiano Vineyard is a 150 acre parcel located on the far northeastern edge of Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills. It is planted primarily to Pinot Noir and experiences significant cooling influence from the nearby Pacific Ocean yet it is noticeably warmer than many of the region's more westerly vineyards, and thus has the potential to produce bolder and riper wine. This bottling, crafted by Peake Ranch Wines using 100% Pinot Noir sourced from JSV, is one of the most striking examples we have tried from this site. It is highly aromatic and unapologetically pure-fruited yet remains completely balanced and brilliantly lean. This wine is still very young but is already an experience to behold, and is probably the most immediately forward offering in the newly released Peake lineup. Don't miss this wine.