2018 Santa Barbara County Rosé of Pinot Noir - Stringer Cellars

Fresh strawberry, sea breeze, zesty citrus peel. Ruby grapefruit, crushed stones, barely-ripe watermelon. Cherry blossom and muted jasmine, mint sprig and wild sage. Tart raspberry and peach skin meld with pretty lemon blossom and sour grass in a pure, juicy, and crisp initial attack. Pronounced salinity immediately washes in bringing notions of beach sand followed by distinctly stony minerality. Light herbal character is present yet takes a backseat to fruit, floral, and earth tones that project themselves as lean and light yet simultaneous quite substantial. Dry, playful, and balanced with wonderfully refreshing tartness, singing of its sunny coastal origins through high acidity that cuts through its medium bodied frame. This 2018 Santa Barbara County Rosé of Pinot Noir by Stringer Cellars is a surprisingly serious and well made central coast rosé.

California's central coast is well known as a source for Pinot Noir of spectacular quality, so it makes sense that this region also puts out equally impressive Pinot Noir based rosé. This bottling, crafted by Stringer Cellars using Pinot Noir sourced from within Santa Barbara County and vinified as a rosé, is an excellent example of the unique character possible in this cool yet sunshine-filled growing zone. While certainly fruit-driven and not lacking ripeness this wine completely eschews sweetness in favor of dry crisp refreshment. It is well balanced and nicely complex complete with a substantial dose of saline minerality. This contains enough structure to pair with a variety of foods yet also merits sipping and enjoying on it's own. Excellent work here by Stringer Cellars.